Second Chance at Forever | C. Cullen

003

CHAPTER THREE
Unfamiliar Familiar Faces

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-Abigail-

The small group had to push through a few different people to get across the dance floor to where Bella and her new husband—Edward, Abigail remembered—were standing. Like the name Cullen, Edward also gave her a weird clenching of the stomach which she dutifully ignored. The man she recognized from earlier at the ceremony was standing next to Bella who looked very confused, like she was going to argue something, but then Charlie got her attention by calling her name.

Bella turned and smiled, pulling her father into a hug. "Hi, Dad," she said fondly, holding him close for a couple seconds before pulling back, her chocolate brown eyes coming to meet Abigail's emerald ones. "Abi, I'm so glad you could make it."

Abigail scoffed and pulled her into a soft hug. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world, Bella. I'm glad you invited me."

"'Course. We grew up together, I couldn't not invite you." The girls laughed and she moved aside to let Bella say hello to Billy, Sue, and Seth, and then Abigail introduced her to Beth.

"And this is Edward," Bella said, putting a gentle hand on his chest. Abigail's eyes flickered up to his and he looked...confused? That seemed to be the right emotion, that or pain—maybe a little of both—which made Abigail a bit uncomfortable. Was it from the conversation Abigail noticed was they walked up? Was it her? She never met the man before so she didn't know why, but she couldn't get that feeling out of her chest as she smiled politely and held out her hand softly.

"Nice to meet you, Edward. I'm Abigail Goodwin." He seemed to choke, eyeing her hand like she was going to slap him, and didn't shake it. Her cheeks heated up and she pulled it back to her side, the others around her staring at him with mixed reactions of confusion and annoyance. And he still hasn't said a word to her so she cleared her throat, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear, before turning her attention to Bella who also shared the emotions of her husband's actions. Or lack of actions, rather. "So congratulations," Abigail said with a slightly forced smile. Edward continued to look at her and it felt like he didn't want her there, which made her shift on her feet awkwardly. "I'm so happy for you guys."

Bella pulled her eyes from Edward's—wow, they're different, she thought as she looked into the shade of topaz—and looked back at her friend. "Thanks," she said gratefully. "We're really happy, too. Today has been just...amazing."

"Definitely throw a great party," she said.

Bella chuckled. "This was all Alice's doing. She's Edward's sister." Alice, Edward's sister, she thought. Again, it just felt so familiar and yet she had never met anyone named Alice before. It was starting to make her nervous again, the same dread almost that curled around in her body earlier, enough she could've gotten ill right there and forced the feelings away.

"Well, she did a great job." Abigail also chuckled lightly and glanced at her shoes.

But a new sound, like something shattering, caused her gaze to rise again. Only it wasn't Edward or Bella, but a man standing behind them and off to the left, and she realized quickly he had dropped his champagne flute, though it was hardly heard over the noise of the party. Her eyes flickered over and was shocked to see the intensity in his gaze, the severity of how tightly his jaw was clenched. Honey-blond hair, topaz eyes the same as Edward's, pale skin, slightly taller than Edward, male-model perfection, and just slightly older than Abigail herself. All the wind seemed to knock out of her gut and she couldn't look away even if she wanted to. His own expression was of wonder, longing, confusion, anguish, and even a bit of horror. It was a confusing blend of emotions that Abigail didn't understand and yet she felt her body chill as if a sharp wind had suddenly knocked into her, goosebumps rising on her flesh as blood pooled under the skin of her cheeks.