city walls | jacob black

city walls ▬▬▬▬ one

bennett broering was in love with bella swan.

it was a refutable love, that was sure, but it stuck. all throughout his life, beginning when renee brought her daughter to live near her best friend and her son,

to their elementary school years, bennett being the one boy that bella allowed herself to speak with, their friendship building.

and then the boy caught feelings for the brunette, and when she didn't reciprocate them, he could do nothing about his love other then keep trying.

and keep trying he did; unnoticeable gifts and favours, little touches to the lower back here and there, but it was never enough.

if the girl ever caught on, she never did anything, either to reassure or discourage bennett at all.

and it was only until he received a wedding invitation almost a year after bella had left for forks when he came to a jarring conclusion.

he'd lost. he was too late. he didn't make it into her heart like she had his.

it didn't work out, and bennett broering was left with a broken heart, and an invitation to his best friend's wedding.

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bennett's father, brent broering visibly paled when he received the invitation early that sunday morning.

"ben," he called, "could you come downstairs for a second?"

"i'm coming," the brunette yelled back, shoving the last bits of his clothes into the hamper across from his room.

he mussed his curly hair, making his way down to the first floor of the small apartment they now lived in, "what's up?"

"you have, an, um, letter," brent smiled weakly, the lift of his lips not reaching his dark eyes like they usually did, "it came a couple of minutes ago."

"oh?" the lean only child scratched his neck confusedly, "i haven't ordered anything, i promise."

"no, i know you haven't," brent handed the stiff, ivory paper to his nineteen year-old son with a slight grimace, "it's just- i'll .. be in the other room. call me when you're done reading."

"oh? okay..." 

bennett peered at the envelope with mild curiosity; he began humming softly as he took the piece of paper out of the big-

w-what?

bennett stopped humming, and his father shifted restlessly in the other room from the silence-

"dad?"

the boy appeared in the doorway with bright eyes and an equally bright smile, holding the paper, "i can pay for the flight- that is, if i'm allowed to go."

"hm- o-oh, of course, ben!" his father forced a smile, "um, i can take care of it, it's the least i can do-"

"no, don't worry about it. i'll take care of the bill, please." bennett's lips were thin, and he left, quietly closing the door behind him.

he couldn't contain his tears; he was crying before he reached his room.

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"hi! i'm bennett!"

"o-oh- h-hi...?"

the year was 1994, and isabella swan had just moved to phoenix from the small, rainy town of forks, washington.

and she'd just met bennett broering.

the 6 year old girl's face morphed into quiet confusion, "do i know you?"

".. we go to the same class!" the new brunet smiled widely, showing his pearly teeth and bright eyes, "wanna be friends?"

".. su-sure."

later that day, bennett and bella met once again, although, this time in his house. not the park.

"awh, hello isabella!" jenelle broering smiled with her eyes and smile, chocolate skin glittering under the natural light being let in, "and renee! what a pleasant surprise!"

"nelly, hey," bella's mother walked in with a tired smile, allowing the soft scent of pot roast to waft into her nose, "it's been... too, too long, my friend."

"that it has," the woman smiled gently, ushering her high school friend to sit down on the sofa, "tell me everything."

"it is... tiring, to raise a child alone."

isabella and bennett played together ( more like bennett watched bella stare at the ground anti socially ).

ah. even at a young age; what a cute little hermit the girl was.

"what's your name?"

"isabella.. please call me bella," the girl muttered quietly, making sleeve paws with her shirt, "you're... bennett?"

"yeah! lets be best friends!"

"oh- ok..!"

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best friends they were.

bella and bennett stayed close to each other all throughout elementary, middle, and high school.

and then he lost eyesight of her for one year.

one year.

it should have been meaningless compared to the eleven something years that they'd been close-

but nothing was easy on one when edward cullen was there to snatch it away.

bennett readjusted his glasses, ignoring his mussed hair ( when was it not ) as he exited the plane, body clad in black clothing and a single suitcase adorning his back.

he didn't get very far at all before he was attacked by isabella swan herself, looking radiant and beautiful and stunning and perfect-

she was practically a married woman. how could he disrespect her like that?

bennett smiled gently at the girl, wrapping his bigger arms around her waist and snuggling his head in the crook of her shoulders, before letting go.

that moment was tantalizingly painful, like a burn on the hand that simply did not stop stinging, even if you nursed it back to health.

i mean, who would ever want to let go of the one that they were in love with? especially if they knew that this would be one of the last moments that the other would be.. free to choose them.

but bennett didn't want bella to choose him.

he wanted her to choose happiness.

happiness that, obviously, came in the form of a certain edward cullen.

"well, you haven't grown at all, have you?" bennett laughed sweetly at the girl, sweeping her hair behind her ear. she shivered, and the boy immediately took his jacket off for her, handing it to her with a worried face.

"no, no," she smiled, a smile that could save so many countries from war, a smile that was honey by itself, "no, i'm just so, so happy to see you again."

"as am i, bella. as am i."

( note )

yes i know this chapter sucks you don't have to remind me of it </3