You had expected it.

When Bella graduated fresh out of highschool and immediately married the anti-social, gaunt, skeletal and irresistibly hot (or so the giggling freshmen in your school claimed) Edward Cullen, you had given up all hope of hearing from her.

You had passed off the annoyingly clingy behavior around Edward as the young couple going through the honeymoon phase, choosing to ignore it even if it took your childhood best friend and, unfortunately for you, crush, away from you, cutting your time with her short .

For 2 years, you hadn't seen hide or hair of Isabella Marie Swan.

In that time, you too, had graduated, gotten into college and moved away from the despairingly rainy gloom of Forks, the painful memories of a brown eyed brunette with Snow White-adjacent skin long eradicated as you settled into your new life in a shared college dorm in the U.K.

Until, of course, your entire family died on you.

Yea, your life was just one big kick the dog moment, huh?

As the only living, legally aged family member, save some distant relatives, your childhood home had been passed on to you, shitty memories, estranged best friends/crushes and all. You chose to take up residency in it, more out of obligation to the honor of your family and the issue of paying the bills in an empty house than wanting to move back to Forks.

So here you were, finally done unpacking the loads of never-ending boxes, just settling into the plush couch to rest your aching back, when the doorbell rang.

Fucking hell.

You groaned, reluctantly pushing yourself onto your two feet, staggering over to the door in a zombie like movement and mentally preparing yourself for the onslaught of questions from nosy neighbors— only to freeze up like a damn statue.

Because standing in front of you was Bella Swan, in the flesh, eyes gleaming despite the moonless night, that small, awkward and stupidly familiar smile on her face, posture sinking a couple of feet in relief at the sight of you.

"{{user}}.. can- can I come in?" came a whisper.