Age of Edward Judges Choice Winner: Bella struggles with mental illness, Edward struggles with fidelity. Story set in 1950 with flashbacks through the 40s. Title based on "Someone Like You" by Doris Day.
You know what I love? I love when you bored, restless searching aimlessly for fics through lists, blogs and facebook pages. You see one fic, read the summary and think 'yeh nah, not for me', but then eventually you decide to read. However halfway through you physically stop and think, "why did I wait so long to read this?!". This is what Someone Like You by IReen H is to me.
This fic, hands down, is the best o/s that I have read in as long as I can remember. Come to think of it, it's one of the most well written fics I've read in a long time, period.
Set in 1950, Bella & Edward's marriage is slowly crumbling. Bella, who suffers from mental illness that has only become worse because of World War Two, lives on a knife edge trying to be the 'good wife' whilst maintaining a grip on her sensibility. She feels Edward slipping away and he is. Edward has found comfort with another but maintains his commitment to his marriage. Shit hits the fan when Bella starts to suspect there is more than one person in her marriage.
Bella walked over to him purposefully and inhaled deeply through her nose. "You smell of Shalimar."
"Bella – YOU wear Shalimar."
"Not since Christmas, when you gave me the Miss Dior Cherie."
"And you wear that?" She didn't. It was gathering dust on her vanity.
"Sometimes." She whispered.
"Sometimes. Like when you have dinner ready on time? Sometimes." His tone was annoyed, and he was already regretting it, but then he thought of Maribel. Her warm mouth, her warm welcoming body. Just get through this, he told himself.
Fire flashed in Bella's eyes, cocoa turned to steel. "You scarcely take meals here anymore. Honestly, Edward, I don't know why I bother."
"Bella love, you DON'T bother."
I can't praise this fic enough, the tension that pulls underneath that suburban veneer is palatable, with Edward struggles at once to bring Bella in with one arm whilst pushing her away with the other. This fic absolutely deserved to win Judges Choice in the Age of Edward contest.
Word of warning though, this o/s is not for the faint hearted. It's macabre, a tragedy and angsty as all fuck but I will promise you once you finish the last sentence you will know it was all been worth it.
Read it Here: Someone Like You
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