BPOV

Present time…

You know how you look back at your past mistakes and regret it so bad that you wish you were never born? Well, something like that happened to me. Only it happened just an hour ago. And I want to go back and take it back.

An Hour Ago…

As soon as I open the door to the shop, sweet smell of warm coffee hits me. Man, it’s nice to be here. I quickly peruse the shop for my friends, but it doesn’t take long because we’re always sitting in the same place. And there they are. Emmett, Alice, Rose, and Jasper in their regular place. I walk up to them.

“Hey, guys.” I quickly drop to the couch. 

“Hey, Bells,” Emmett calls out. 

“So, this really weird thing happened to me today. Remember how I lost my watch in the trash can the last time I went to the park for ’jogging’?” I said, making the quotes sign for jogging because we all know I can’t run, jog, or walk. That’s just a disaster waiting to happen. 

“Yeah, but I still have no idea how it ended up there,” my best friend Alice, who claims to be a psychic says. 

“Well, that’s not important anyway. So, it happened again. I was searching for the watch in the trash can and look what I found,” I say happily and quickly take out the cop badge I found from my purse. 

“Hey, hey. Why do you have a badge here when this place doesn’t sell donuts?” Jasper says, and then starts laughing loudly. My glare makes him shut right up.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. So anyway, just now I saw a lady throw her cigarette butt out on the street. So, I told her not to do it and she was all, “’Hey, back off. Who’re you—the Queen of England?’ So, I got mad and took the badge and threatened to arrest her and do you know what she did? She apologized and then threw the cigarette butt in the trash can. It’s like I’m Robin Hood, only I don’t give money and do the good deeds instead.”

“Bella, you can’t do that. It’s a cop badge. You could get arrested for it,” Alice says with her all-too-familiar mother hen voice.

“I know that. But it’s so much fun.” She glares at me. “Fine. I’ll return it. Tomorrow.”

So, then for the next half hour, all I hear is how Alice and Jasper went on a romantic date and how cute Jasper was and how pretty Alice was. I mean I love those guys, but it’s sad to see I’m the fifth wheel of the group. After, Alice and Jasper are close to attacking each other right on the couch, I shoot right up.

“Sorry, guys. I gotta… I’m late. I have to go.”

“What, no,” Rose says, staring pointedly at me. Alice is the mother hen, but Rose is the big sister who always has to fuss and hover. But I love her.

“No, Rose, really. I have… um… I‘ve got that… uh… thing. You know I told you about it last night.” I plead with my eyes.

With a heavy sigh, she finally says, “Fine.”

I run away as fast as I can and run into a wall. That’s weird. I was sure I was running towards the door. I fall on the floor with a low thud and a loud “Ow.”

“You okay?” My head shoots up quickly. The first thing I notice is green. Those green eyes. Wow. And the hair, my god. I quickly wipe the drool from my face.

“What?” My brain finally catches up and I speak. “Oh, yeah. I’m good. I’m so good.” I think my voice turns breathy towards the end.

He suppresses a smile. “I’m sorry. Here, let me help you.” He grabs my hand and lifts me up.

I think I giggle. “Hi.” Yup, I’m a high-schooler now.

“Hi. So, do you wanna.…”  You know how at this moment girls just get lost in the guys’ eyes waiting for him to continue to ask them out? Yeah, apparently not me. I look straight ahead toward the Volvo that is parked right on the curb. No, wait it’s way past the curb on the sidewalk.

“Is that your car?” I say, pointing out to the Volvo and interrupting him.

“What?” He pauses to turn around where I’m pointing. “Yeah, that’s mine.”

“Really? Is that how you park your car? Show me your driver’s license.”

“My driver’s license. Why would I do that?” he asks, amused.

And then, in the sheer moment of stupidity, I take out the badge. “Because I’m a cop. Now, show me the license.”

This time he does laugh. “A scrawny little thing like you, a cop?”

Okay, now I don’t care if he’s a Greek god or has sex hair. But no one calls me scrawny little thing.

“Listen up, mister. You’re going to go to that car and park it right or you’re spending the day in prison.”

“Really?” Why is he still laughing? Is he crazy? Maybe he is. “What precinct are you from again?”

I falter. Crap. I snort. “Why would I tell you that?”

He composes his face into a serious one. “Because as a citizen of the country, I have the right to know.”

“Um…the 57th.”

“See that’s funny. My best bud works there, too. Do you know him?”

“I… uh… I am a whore,” I blurt out. His eyes bug out. “I mean, I’m undercover. So, I can’t talk about that stuff.”

“Oh. Undercover, huh?”

“Um…Hmm.”

He suddenly walks up to me and then leans in close to my ear. “First, that’s a fake badge. Second, what are you doing?” he whispers.

I’m caught up between shivering from his proximity and freezing from panic. I settle for snorting. “No, it’s not. It’s a real badge and I’m a real cop.”

He smiles sweetly. “Oh, honey, it’s not. It’s fake. And I would know that because I’m a cop and this is what real badges look like,” he says, showing me his real badge.

I think I’m going to faint.

“What, now?” Huh? Did I say that out loud? But before I could think more on it, blackness enveloped me.

Present time

As soon as I open my eyes, I’m blinded by those horrible white lights that you see in a morgue. Don’t ask me how I know. I look around and realize that I’m in a hospital bed and then flashes of what happened come back. 

Oh God. Did I just fight with a cop about parking? Am I getting arrested? NO!! I’m too young to spend my life in prison. Damn it, I hate it when Alice is right. 

“Great. You’re awake.” Oh no. He’s here. He’s going to arrest me. Oh God. 

“Yeah. But I liked it when I was unconscious,” I whispered to myself. 

“Trust me, you didn’t. Did you know that you talk in your sleep? It’s really funny.”

“No. What did I say? No, don’t answer that. No, tell me. No don’t.” 

“Ok, you decide and let me know. Meanwhile, you need to get out of here.” 

“What, like from New York? Or America? Where the hell would I go? Well, my aunt does live in Italy, but she hates me. So, I don’t think that’s an option.” 

He starts laughing. “Why would you have to get out of America? Are you not a US citizen? Is your Visa expired?” 

“What? No. I thought… you know… because I was flashing a fake badge at people and saying I’m a cop.” 

“People? How many people are we talking here?” 

“What? No one.” He looks at me pointedly. “Fine. Just the mean cigarette butt lady. No one else. I promise.” 

“Mean Cigarette Butt Lady?” He laughs again. “God, you’re cute.”

My head shoots right up. “What?” 

“What?” he says, quickly dropping his head to the floor. 

“You think I’m cute. Does that mean I won’t be arrested?” 

He smiles. “I don’t think you were getting arrested anyway. But if you do that again, I might have to consider it,” he jokes. I think. 

“Done deal. No more police badges. I promise.” 

He then starts fidgeting with his hands. “So, remember, how at the coffee shop, I was about to ask you something?” 

 “Yeah?” 

“Well, would you like to go out for a coffee?” 

Before I could answer, my phone starts ringing loudly. I quickly grab the purse at my bedside and search for my phone. 

“Hello?” 

“Bella? What the hell? Where are you?” Rose’s voice literally screams at me. 

“Rose, I’m fine. I was just… um… hanging out with… uh…” Crap I don’t even know Green Eyes’ name. I look at him questioningly. 

“Edward,” he whispers and then smiles a shy smile and I just want to attack him. But of course, I don’t. 

“Yeah, I was just out with this cute guy Edward.” 

“Oh.” She’s silent for a moment. Then she sighs. “Okay, I’ll let you go this time, only if you give all the gory details later.” 

“Fine,” I grumble. “I promise. Bye.” 

“Bye.” I hang up and then look up at Edward. He looks at me like he’s waiting for something and then finally sighs.

“So, about that coffee.” 

“YES!” I scream. Crap, tone it down you despo. “Sorry, I mean yeah. I’d love that. I’m Bella, by the way.” 

“I know. I looked at your driver’s license.” 

“Oh.” I stop short, then shrug it off because, hey, he’s a cop and we’re at a hospital, so he kind of did need to see my name. “It’s fine. It’s a fake one too.” 

“Oh.” His brow furrows. 

“Kidding. It was a joke. Guess, it’s not that funny,” I say, pouting. 

“Oh.” Edward smiles and then shakes his head like he’s not sure what to say. 

“So, when can I get out of here?” I’m already fidgeting on my bed. I hate hospitals.

20 minutes later, I’m done and out of the damn place. I release a sigh of relief. 

“You don’t like hospitals, do you?” Edward says, amused. 

“Uh… yeah. There’s this long story about how a needle changed my life but it’s really long and embarrassing.” 

He perks right up. “I’ve got time. You could tell me over coffee.” Crap. I’d like to go to coffee with him. But I’m so not telling him my needle story. 

“Yeah. No, I don’t think so. Coffee is fine. Needle story isn’t.”

“Fine by me. Come on, let’s go,” Edward says and then grabs my hand. 

Apparently getting a coffee meant going into the very coffee shop we met. 

So, over my black coffee and his tea, because apparently Edward hates coffee, we talk about irrelevant stuff. After two hours and a lot of coffee, because I’m a caffeine addict, we leave the coffee shop. Since I didn’t bring my car, he drops me off home and walks me to my door. 

“So, I had a great time today,” Edward says, caressing my cheek with his thumb. 

“Hmm,” is all I can muster because right now I want to take him inside, tear his clothes off and attack. But I don’t do that. Because firstly, I won’t be able to pull that off. And secondly, it’s only been the first date. Can it even be referred to as a date? 

He smiles at me and then leans in. I lift up on my toes and my arms encircle his neck. Soon, our mouths are fusing. I grab a bunch of his hair—man that hair—and push into him. His hands roam around my back and then down my butt. He grabs me and lifts me right up. I quickly wrap my legs around his waist. He pushes me against the door and continues to attack my lips—God, those lips. Bless that damn fake police ID. 

My hands move to his chest by their own accord and I start to explore him over his clothes. When I pop a button off his shirt, he pulls back and leans his forehead against mine. 

“Bella, I… God… please don’t make this hard for me.” I bite my lips to keep myself from laughing. He said hard. Damn it, Emmett. I spent a little too much time with him. He releases my lip from my teeth and then kisses me softly once, twice, and then again. Just when I’m about to grab him and pull him into a deeper kiss, he pulls back. 

“Trust me, Bella. I want to. But I would like to go out with you again first. I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.” 

“Uh-huh.” I’m still breathing hard. How can that be? 

“So, is that a yes?” 

“To what?” 

“To a second date?” 

“Yes… God, yes,” I moan, because I want his lips back on mine. 

“Bella,” Edward groans. “Don’t. I have to go. My shift is starting in an hour. But I’ll pick you up tomorrow for dinner. Say seven?” 

“Yeah, seven is fine.” Finally, a reply that isn’t breathy or desperate. 

He smiles widely, pecks me on the lips once, and then is off. I just stand there watching him pull away and then slide down the door on to the porch. Man, can that guy kiss. I touch my lips that are still tingling, close my eyes, and then lean my head back on the door.

“Ouch.” I guess I did that a little too strongly. Well, there goes the moment. I scramble for my keys in my purse and go inside.

Five Years Later.

I’m fidgeting with my dress as I look in the mirror. Yup, Alice definitely hates me. I never should have said yes. Now, I’m stuck for hours in a church with I do’s until it’s time to eat. Speaking of food, I’m really hungry. I could really use some sandwich right now. Or meat. Or a sandwich that has meat. There I go with talking like Emmett again.   

“Hey, you ready?” I turn around see my gorgeous fiancé’s who’s staring at me amusedly. Yup, even he knows I’m hungry. 

“No, I’m hungry.” 

He walks up to me in his very dashing tux and then grazes my swollen, my very swollen belly. “Is it the cravings again?” 

“Yeah.” I sigh. “By any chance you don’t happen to have a turkey sandwich, do you?” 

“Well, no. But I can get one.” 

“It’s okay. One sandwich won’t do it for me, anyway.” I turn towards the mirror again and fidget some more with the dress, until Edward kisses my neck and looks at me in the mirror. 

“You look stunning.” I snort, disbelievingly. “You do. You’re so beautiful. I can’t believe you’re mine,” he says, and then lightly grazes the ring that sits on my third finger. 

“Not yet, I’m not. I could still run away, you know?” 

“Really?” he asks raising one of his eyebrows up. 

“Well, of course I can’t run when I’m carrying a 2-pound baby in me.” 

“Yeah, because that’s the reason why you can’t run.” He snorts, sarcastically. 

“Whatever,” I say and then kiss his cheek lightly.

We watch as Alice and Jasper have their first kiss as husband and wife. 

“This will be you and me, you know, in a few months,” Edward whispers in my ear. 

“God, I hope so. Because, being in this ridiculously puffy dress doesn’t cut it out for me. And I’m hoping to get the same kind of payback for both Rose and Alice.” 

He laughs lightly and then kisses my head. 

“And here I was thinking you’d be excited because you get to be my wife.” 

“Oh honey, that, too. It’s just more fun when I think of Alice and Rosalie in cotton candy, pink, puffy dress.” 

“Well, whatever the reason. I can’t wait, Mrs.-Cullen-to-be.” 

“Me, too.” His lips find mine and it’s like we’re on our first date together. 

Oh, I could definitely get used to this for the rest of my life. 

The End