Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas Twilight.

2. A Memory You Can't Sweat Out

BELLA P.O.V.

February 4th, 2010.

I pulled my hair into a tight pony tail before stepping onto the treadmill. I shoved the headphones into my ear and scrolled to one of my favorite metal-core songs. I turned the volume all the way up, so the music was invading my mind. Just what I needed. Starting off at a medium pace, I pushed myself harder. Within five minutes I was up to 12 mph – the fastest speed I could possibly go on these motherfuckers. My legs were a blur and my breath was ragged…but I didn't stop. My muscles were screaming in protest. I ignored them. Two weightlifters across from me were gazing at me with concern. Heck, I couldn't blame them. I pushed harder. My neck broke out into a sweat.

I was sweating out all of the memories of this day.

This was my mind's way of detoxifying the bitter resentment I, to this date, held.

About twelve minutes later, I was about to collapse. I shut the machine off and pulled the headphones from my ears. I no longer had legs.

And I loved the feeling.

The sweet burning of my muscles felt like heaven under the hot, steamy shower. I washed my hair with my favorite strawberry shampoo, lathering it up and massaging it almost erotically to my scalp. I sighed in pure bliss. After the water had turned cold, and my skin became pruny, I reluctantly shut it off and got changed. As I was taming my hair, my cell phone rang – echoing through the empty locker room.

I looked at the screen of my Blackberry. Alice.

"What?" I snapped.

"Hello to you, too, Bella," she chirped with undeterred excitement. Of course she knew today was not a particularly happy day for me.

"What do you want."

"Well…there is this new club that just opened, and I was wond–"

I cut her off. "NO. I am not in the mood to go out tonight." I was trying to untangle my hair with my brush as I balanced my phone between my shoulder and ear.

"Oh, come on Bella! This is exactly what you need!" I could just imagine her pouting face. "I will not tolerate your moping this year!"

I winced as I pulled through a particularly stubborn knot.

"You will have a lot of fun! And…and well, err…"

"Spit it out, Alice." I sighed, tossing the brush into my bag, giving up on the snarled mess.

"Well – uh, EmmetandEdwardwillbetheretoo!" Her words jumbled together.

"Come again?" I said. My heart was pounding. Of course she couldn't have said –

"Edward's going to be there."

That's all it took for me to drop my phone on the tiled floor. There was a definite crack, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

The whole room was spinning around me. I quickly sat myself down on the bench near the locker and put my head between my knees as a wave of nausea hit me like a ton of bricks. It took me a few minutes to compose myself. After the hysteria had died down a fraction, I picked up my Blackberry from the floor. It had a deep crack on the screen.

Fuck. This day just kept getting better and better.

Instead of heading to my apartment, I sped straight to Alice's apartment she shared with her now fiancé, Jasper. I banged on the door like a madwomen until it finally swung open to reveal a scruffy man with clear blue eyes that were bloodshot and light golden hair that was just plain crazy.

"Rough night?" I chuckled despite my frantic state. He just grumbled and let me in. I walked past him down the hall and burst into the bedroom. Alice was sitting on the floor wearing a robe and painting her toenails.

"Hi Bella!" Alice said, without looking up.

"Don't you 'Hi Bella' me! Explain to me, what the fuck is going on!" I growled at her.

Alice sighed, tightening the cap and putting the bottle of nail polish to her side.

"Okay, well Emmett and Edward are coming tonight," she said bluntly. So I didn't hallucinate her revelation earlier. The wave of nausea crept up my stomach again.

"They have been meaning to visit since they found out about Jasper and my engagement."

Sometimes it slipped my mind that Alice was siblings with Emmett and...and him.

I nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, they both finally have off, so I-I invited them." Alice was guarding her expression, yet scanning mine carefully to gauge my reaction.

"For how long?" I was trying to remain cool, calm, and composed. The last three things that I was feeling at the moment.

"Er, Emmett has off for two weeks and Edward only has off for a week and a half." I took deep breaths. Cool. Calm. Composed.

Alice really hadn't given me many details about what her siblings were up to these days. Edward – I winced at the thought of his name – had always been a tender subject for me to talk about with Alice. Clearly.

I wasn't sure how and to what extent Alice and his relationship suffered after our breakup, but I could definitely tell there was some tension. Alice had faithfully stuck with me during lunch till the end of senior year and although she never mentioned it to me, I was pretty sure she held a bit of resentment for the whorebag…I mean Tanya. Fuck, if she wasn't the biggest bitch in the entire universe.

Anyway. I knew that Emmett had opened up his own auto repair shop just last year. He had always had an infatuation with cars, so it only made sense that he now devoted his life to them. Edward on the other hand was finishing up med school. Back when Alice and I used to be roommates in college, I would always eavesdrop on her conversations with her twin. He had gone to school at Dartmouth where he juggled a heavy load of classes. Unsurprisingly, pre-med didn't weigh him down. He apparently graduated at the top one percent of his class or something with all honors, and got into Johns Hopkins for medical school – one of the best in the country. He was in his last year now.

Yeah. I still had tabs on that boy. Not that I really cared to know about his life.

Okay, Bella. You can stop lying to yourself.

"Where are they both going to stay?" I sighed.

I shouldn't be mad at Alice. Although, I still was a little peeved at her for keeping me in the dark until the last minute. But, I mean he was her brother and I had no right to keep her from seeing him due to my own issues. I had to face this situation sooner or later.

I choose later. My brain screamed.

"Well, that's where you come in," she said with a nervous yet hopeful smile playing on her face. "Would they be able to stay –"

"HELL NO!" I practically screamed. I didn't need her to finish to know where she was getting at. Alice didn't even flinch, but instead pounced on me.

"Oh, please, please, please, PLEASE? With a cherry on top?" She said with her bottom lip curled out. I held my hand out to shield myself from her "puppy" face. I couldn't handle that look. One look at that face and I was a goner. "They can't stay at our apartment - there is not enough room for four of us! Your apartment will be perfect!"

"NO! Shit Alice, I can't believe you would even ask!" I spat angrily at her. I haven't even seen Edward in eight years!

"I haven't even seen Edward in eight years!" I voiced my opinion, not giving her a chance to speak. "Seriously, how can you just expect me to let him stay in my fucking apartment? And you can't just tell me something like that last minute! And – and I hate him just as he hates me!"

Alice waited until I was done flipping my shit…which was almost twenty minutes later. I collapsed on her bed, feeling very exhausted. My legs were extremely sore from my "little" exercise this morning and no doubt my mind was fried thanks to my ranting.

"Isabella Swan. First, Edward does not hate you. Far from it. Second, I know you do not hate him." Then she gave me a smirk. "In fact – you still care for him."

I opened my mouth to protest and tell her that was all rubbish, but she shot one menacing eyebrow up that made me shudder in fear. Damn. For such a tiny little thing, she was quite scary. And annoying.

"You've been my best friend since eight grade, Bella. So I know that you pretend to "hate" him to cover up your real feelings. He's still got you wrapped around his finger – and THAT is what you hate."

I muffled my head in her pillow, tempted to scream.

"You aren't over him," Alice said, her voice gentle. Fuck. I didn't bother objecting. We both knew she was right. She soothingly rubbed small circles on my back as I choked back tears. "But, Bella, this is your time to show him that you've changed. You are strong, independent, and hot. You don't need him in your life. You can show him that. This is the only way that you will finally get your closure after all these years."

Everything she said made sense...but that didn't mean I was willing to listen to her.

"Alice, I-I don't know..." I trailed off. Alice's eyes were determinedly blazing. She would not take no for an answer.

"You are going to see Edward tonight. You are going to look hot. You are going to make him wish he never batted an eyelash at Tanya." She sat on the bed, lifting my sagging body up. "You are going to make him fall to his knees. You are going crack your whip and make him beg. You are going to make him pity himself for letting YOU go." Her eyes were shining, glinting with mischief.

I looked at her self-assured face.

Did I really want to do this? Could I do this? I shook my head in disbelief. Alice was delusional.

"Alice Cullen. You are out of your mind." But my voice had lost all its resolve as I sat in contemplation.

My emotions were all over the place. I needed to sort it out foremost. Where would I even start? I was feeling so many different things at that moment. Confusion. Anger. Disbelief. Excitement. Hope.

Heartache.

That would alway be there. That emptiness and longing that stung my heart.

Alice's words continued to ring and echo in my mind.

You are going to make him pity himself for letting YOU go.

Could I do this?

I closed my eyes. My mind wandered to the day when me and Edward had finally ended. And I could only recall that one emotion in his eyes. The one emotion that had caused restless nights and chilling nightmares, even to this day. The one emotion that had haunted me for eight years: Pity.

I repeated the question to myself again. Could I do this?

I smiled. Fuck yes.

Edward Cullen was going to feel so sorry for himself. And I would be the one who cracking the whip to bring him down on his knees.

February 4th. Edward and Bella's anniversary…and now, their long-waited reunion.

A/N: I know, I know. Pathetically short. But perhaps a few more AWESOME reviews to help inspire me to write a long-ass chapter? One thing I hate though...when authors are all like "I"ll only update this chapter if I get _ reviews!"

I fucking hate that. Enough said. DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN WRITE REVIEWS TO YOURSELF? I JUST WROTE AN AWESOME, YET VERY VAIN REVIEW TO MYSELF, AND IT'S THE MOST AMUSING THING. Like seriously. Also...I'm sure most of you already know this, but have you guys seen the trailer for that "Vampires Suck" movie? It looks HILARIOUS! I cannot wait to see that...I believe it is coming out on August 18th. So if you have no idea what the fuck I am talking about, check it out on youtube! It's a must-see. If anyone has seen the trailer, I want to know your thoughts on it! Will you be seeing it?

Anyway, next chapter - Bella gets primped up for her meet with Edward...oooh lalaaaa :)