Chapter 2

I still own nothing-that goes without saying

BPOV

I hate packing. It makes you inspect every little thing you own. You touch everything to just place it in a box. I hate packing.

I discovered I hated packing after my parents were killed. I had to decide on what to keep. What was important to keep-what could be thrown away. I was only 17 and I had to pack everything in my parents' house. Jasper and Rosalie were there, they tried to help-but there was nothing they could do.

They couldn't pack anything if I didn't know I wanted to keep it or not. Three days later-Rosalie and Jasper began packing everything. They decided to keep it all and store it. I would keep it all until I was feeling "better". As if, I could ever feel better about my parents dying. It's been 7 years and everything remains in storage-never unpacked. I couldn't bare it.

That doesn't mean that I didn't keep anything of theirs with me, because I did. I kept pictures, books, trinkets, letters-anything personal. Clothing, dishes, house things are in storage.

Packing makes me think of them. Well, that's a lie. I think about them everyday, and one of them I think of more than the others. Which makes me sad. Sad because he isn't in my life anymore and it's my fault. It's all my fault.

It's my fault my parents are dead and it's my fault I don't have Edward in my life either. At least one was a choice. He deserved someone whole. I was broken-I couldn't ask him to take care of me. Rosalie and Jasper took it upon themselves to do it, as much as I protested, it still happened.

I know Edward-he would have dropped everything to be with me. He's the most selfless person I've ever met-and I love him for it. I needed to love him just as much. I cut him out of my life…without warning. I didn't call him after the accident. He found out a few days later-he's calls were incessant. I knew it was only a matter of time before he came looking for me. I made sure everyone thought I was moving in with my grandmother.

Neither of my grandmothers are living. I technically moved in with Rosalie's parents, but I stayed at a hotel. Rose's parents thought I was in college. I couldn't go. I missed them. I missed him. I wanted him to hold me and tell me it was all right, that it wasn't my fault-but I had to remain strong. He deserved someone better. He deserved to finish school and be great and he did. He's the CEO of Mason Corporation. He's in the New York papers all the time.

I keep a box of every memory I have of him from our time together. Pictures, letters, mementos, cutouts from the paper. I have to keep it hidden, Jasper's a nosy little shit. He already managed to get me drunk and found out about my tattoo, which led to all these other questions. Nosy little shit.

EM is tattooed on me forever. I got it done just after my parents were killed and I cut ties with Edward. He didn't make it easy-I had to change my numbers, email, screen-name, everything. I love him. I miss him. This wasn't the way it was suppose to be.

'Bella!" Rosalie was screeching from the doorway. "I can't believe you guys are here, I'm so excited, we all together again." Rosalie has been living in NYC for the pass year and Jasper and I finally decided to make the move as well. It took some convincing on my part. NYC meant too much to me. He lived here. Panic rose in my chest every time I thought about bumping into him. He'll hate me. I couldn't possible stand to see his eye look down on me in anger, when they used to shower me with love.

"Yeah, Rose, so excited." I plastered my smile on my face; I'm used to it by now.

"Alright, lets get started unpacking, and I want to go out tonight to celebrate us all being together. Just the 3 of us." UUGGG more drinking, but I can't disappoint Rose. I've put her and Jasper through enough. It was time to be my old self again. If not for me then for them, they desperately wanted their friend back. I didn't have to heart to tell them they didn't have the power to fix me. I can't think about him right now.

Don't think about Edward. Don't think about being in the same city as him. Don't think about seeing him. Oh, god…I feel sick.

"I better not have to share a bathroom with you two. Sharing an apartment is enough girlness for me." Poor Jasper, I really don't know how he puts up with all our crap. I don't think he has an guys that he's close with. He wasn't close with any guys in high school, some of them thought Jasper was banging Rosalie and me, so that's all they asked him about. I think college was different; he didn't have me and Rose there to mess with his socializing.

"Don't worry Jasper; you have your own bathroom. But yours is also closer to the living room, soo…." Poor Jasper.

Unpacking isn't really as bad as packing, but it still takes along time. Rosalie was helping me, well she was doing more talking than unpacking but I enjoyed the company. I preferred she didn't unpack things, I didn't want her to find my secret Edward box-and I needed her to leave so I could hide it. Maybe I should just come clean, I'm sure Jasper already blabbed.

"Bella, I think it's time you started dating. I mean you haven't gone on a date since Mike, and we know how that ended." Mike was a guy we met in college, and he was nice, but stupid. We went on one date, Rose made me, and it was boring. I kept thinking about Edward, and he kept talking about himself.

"Rosalie, I just got here, and I want to work on my book. Let me get settled before you start sending me out on dates."

"Fine, but I'm bored, finish this tomorrow. I'm starving, go shower and lets go to dinner." Rose smacked my ass and I followed her orders. I couldn't do anymore unpacking right now. My bed was made and clothes were in the closet-good enough for now.

RPOV

"Jasper, quick, come into Bella's room with me. I found something you've got to see. Hurry she could come out of the shower at any minute." Sneaky little Bella.

"Geezz, Rose, Bella is going to murder you for snooping." He followed me despite his opposition.

"Whatever, you blabbed her secret, so this is really your fault if you think about it."

"Sure Rose. What did you find anyway?"

I held the box out in front of him. His eyes popped out of his head.

"You found the Holy Grail. Jesus, look at our Bella."

"He was hot at 17; I can only imagine what he looks like now. We have to find him Jasper." Bella was clearly still hung-up on this guy.

"How Rosalie, we don't know anything about him, but his name and that he used to live in NYC."

"Well, after you called me the other day I Facebooked him. I didn't add him or anything, but I just wanted to see if he had one-and yes he does. I also took the liberty of making one for Bella. If he friends her, then we will begin the reunion."

"Bella is going to kill you. You better but that back exactly where you found it."

"I know, go get dressed, we're going out. And I'm going to go check Facebook."

"Bella, I left an outfit for you to wear, don't argue, let me have this." I missed Bella so much since I moved, but she wasn't ready last year. She needed to do it on her own terms-I knew she'd make the move. I know she still has feelings for this Edward Mason.

Why does that name sound familiar?

"Thanks Rosalie. I really missed you. I really excited to finally be living in Manhattan." I wonder why? Does she still talk to this guy. I don't think so, she wouldn't be so miserable if she had a guy like that in her life. Maybe he dumped her? Shit, I never thought about that. I need to get a few drinks into Bella.

"SHOTS!" Thank you Jasper.

"I don't think I can handle anymore. You guys might have to carry me back if you make me take another shot." Lightweight Bella.

"Bella, you've had two shots, this is the last one I promise."

We all took the shot; I'll wait 20 minutes and then begin the questions.

"Bella lets dance." Thank you again Jasper. This was going to be like taking candy from a baby.

The dance floor was crowded, but fun. Bella was loosening up and dancing. Bella was actually a good dancer-she had a good teacher. I thought she was going to be a lost cause, she's so F*ing clumsy, but that girl has move her hips. Perhaps I wasn't the only teacher. I didn't want to spend too much time dancing, I needed to talk to Bella before she sobered up.

"So Bella I heard you have a tattoo. Can I see it?" Jasper shot me his death glare, as if Bella didn't know he already told me. Boys can be so dense.

"Jasper, you're a bad friend."

"Says the secret keeper." Nice Jasper, not.

Bella stood up and pulled her shirt and pulled her jeans down a little. "There happy? And no I don't want to talk about it." Maybe she needs another drink. "I'm not drinking anymore Rosalie, you're so transparent some times."

"Fine, then just tell me about it. We already know, you might as well come clean."

"He was some guy that I knew in high school. I'm sure Jasper already told you all about that, so I'll skip it. It's not a big deal, it ended and I don't want to talk about it. I've been to real therapy; I don't need you guys to start as well."

"Did you talk about him to your therapist?" It's not unlike Bella to withhold important information.

"Yes, and she helped me threw it. Can we please drop it?"

"I'm not trying to be your therapist, just a friend. And I'm curious, all this time I thought you were a virgin and you have this whole life you never talk about. Who was Edward Mason? Do you ever speak to him?"

"He was the son of my parents' friends. I don't talk to him anymore, it was just a high school thing. He skipped like 2 grades; he's really smart and too good for any girl, especially me." Bella never saw herself clearly. She's the smartest person I know and one of the most beautiful.

"Did he break up with you? When did you get his initials tattooed?"

"No he didn't, I ended it, ok. I couldn't take life after my parents were killed, so I ended it. He would have dropped everything to be with me and help me, and I couldn't let him do that." Bella was on the verge of tears. She was clearly trying not to let them out, she always has trouble stopping them once they start. Jasper put his arms around her and I dropped it.

I'll find this Edward Mason.

***

"Jasper! Are you home!" I can believe my luck. This is fate. Alice is right, we met for a reason.

"What Rosalie, I was just about to get in the shower, I'm working tonight." Jasper found a bartending job in one my favorite bars in the village. There are always tons of people there, so he'll be rolling in money in no time.

"Bella hasn't come home yet has she?" Last I spoke to her she was sitting in starbucks writing.

"No, why?"

"You're not going to believe what happened to me today."

"I don't think I want to know. With you I could be anything."

"I'm going on a date with Edward Mason." I knew that would shut him up.

"What the hell Rose, what are you thinking?"

"Listen, I met his sister today, who I think you'll really like but anyway. So I was talking to her and she mentioned her last name, so I asked her if she was related to Edward-and she was. So I began telling her about Bella, who she's met and wants to help reunite them. We discussed it and we think it will be better if I met him first and feel him out. If he's not interested in Bella anymore, then we shouldn't throw them together. That would break her. So she was telling me how she's constantly setting him up on dates and he never wants to go-but some times he does. So I'll be his next blind date and I'll ask him about Bella."

"Jesus Rose, it's been like 2 weeks since I told you and you've already tracked down him family." I punched him in the arm. "Ouch, what the hell."

"I didn't track her down, she came into my shop looking for a job. We spent hours together before any of this happened. She's great, I already love her like a sister, and I'm sure Bella will too."

"If Bella is even talking to us long enough to find out. She better not find out you two are going out, she'll flip."

"I'm not going to tell her ding-dong. Its not even a real date-I'm going to interrogate the poor guy." Jasper began pushing me out of his room, he's going to be late if he doesn't get a move on. "Oh one more thing before I leave you alone. Have you ever heard of Mason Corporation?"

"Yeah, I've seen the building in the business district, why…"

"Well guess who's the CEO." And with that I walked out and closed the door behind me.