"We Come to Life Beneath the Stars" by Lillybellis

Posted by Pb

From the moment she became a teenager, Bella's life had been meticulously mapped out by her mother. Her job, her boyfriend, her hair (!) - everything needed to be approved by Renee Swan first. So when Bella announces that she not only quit her job after her boss started harassing her but also ended her six-year-relationship with Jacob, Renee is beyond pissed. Mother and daughter start an intense fight which ends by the two agreeing to disagree and giving each other the silent treatment. And while Renee hopes to be able to talk some sense into Bella, the latter has come to a life altering decision. With the support of her lovely brother Emmett as well as her father Charlie, she begins waving the path for a new chapter in her life.

It doesn't take long for Bella to settle in her new life. She finds a job as an accountant and it is at her workplace that she meets the enigmatic yet cold Edward Cullen. Every day, the two see each other and every day Edward's mood is a different one. While one minute he is rude and arrogant, the next he smiles a dazzling smile at her almost causing Bella to melt on the spot. But apart from his constant mood swings there is one more thing which makes her colleague a mystery to Bella. Not only is Edward regularly absent from work, but he also takes a particular phone call every day at the same time. Who is this man? It isn't until one of their company's annual camping trips that some of Bella's questions get somewhat answered. She manages to bond with Edward and realizes that he is not at all the guy he appeared to be. The two start going out on dates and soon live in their own little bubble. Yet still, Bella doesn't really know the man that is Edward Cullen. His secrets could eventually mean the end of their beautiful relationship...

Lillybellis must have carefully chosen the title for her story as it fits perfectly! Not only do many of the main events take place under the stars, but the entire fanfiction is shot through with astronomical metaphors (e.g. that Bella and Edward are like stars that are surrounded by darkness yet strive towards light). We Come to Life Beneath the Stars is completely written from Bella's perspective and the reader is immediately able to connect with her. One simply cannot help but laugh and cry with her and watch her fall in love. That said, this story doesn't revolve around hot smut (although there a few nice lemons in it) but rather two broken people who try to discover themselves and the love they have for the other while also having to deal with a number of realistically portrayed conflicts. One of these conflicts is Renee, who, despite being so overly demanding and protective of her child, is also described as being a loving mother with only the best intentions. Edward has some personal issues to deal with - some are no longer with him, others still linger around. Haunted by memories and past mistakes, he longs for a way out of the dark. This is an amazing story that has close to no grammatical errors or typos! Completely commendable and definitely worth reading!

We Come to Life Beneath the Stars is rated M for language and sexual activities/references.

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