Chapter One

Dust

It had been exactly three months since Edward had left. It was finally becoming easier to say his name, but harder to picture him in my mind. If I pictured him, the reality consumed me and I couldn't bare it. If I merely thought his name, it didn't specify that it was him. When I imagined his topaz eyes and beautiful complexion, I felt like there was a gaping hole inside of me.

Charlie slowly began to realize that in response to the Cullen's leaving, they took my entire being with them. He was too afraid to admit it to me out loud, but I knew he was secretly setting up an appointment with a psychologist. I wouldn't have been so opposed to the idea if it weren't for the fact that as soon as I explained that my vampire boyfriend and his vampire family left me, that I would be put in a comfy padded room.

I was desperate to talk to someone outside of my mind. Sometimes, when I was feeling really lonely, I would imagine Alice sitting next to me, ranting about whom would soon break up with whom and what a tragedy it was because they were going to have three daughters after they were married. I missed those little rants of hers…

"Bella?" Charlie called, breaking my silent reverie.

"Yeah?" I hollered through my door, hastily shoving the drawings I had sketched of the Cullen's under my bed.

He stalked in with a tired look. "Angela called earlier. She wants you to call or go over there. Her and her boyfriend either broke up or had a baby. I couldn't really understand her, but I really hope it's the first guess." He looked around my room for a moment and finally returned to his bedroom.

Why is my life so weird? I thought. I hurriedly got the keys to my old, beat up truck and pounced down the stairs. "Dad, I'm going to Angela's. I don't know when I will be back, but I need you to pick up some mayonnaise OK?"

"Yeah, yeah I know. You've only been telling me for a week." He groaned.

I shook my head and walked out the door.

The air was damp - as usual - and a slight breeze blew the few leaves that still covered the ground and made them scatter across the lawn.

It was chilly out; I should have put on my jacket. Instead, I ran to my truck and started down the road to Angela's. She was one of the few people I was still socializing with. I couldn't bare to be around Jessica anymore and Mike never stopped asking me out now that I was available.

A tad too available if you ask me, I thought.

Since Edward and the other Cullen's had left, my life had been utterly boring and no men had showed any interest in me… Other than Mike of course.

In one way my life had slowed, but in another it was crazier than ever. I had become much more anti-social and I never left the house other than to go to Angela's or work, but at the same time I had launched into a fit of obsessive writing. I couldn't very well tell anyone about vampires or anything to do with what life was like for me when the vampires were here, so I just wrote about it. I would make up short stories about the Cullen's and what they were probably doing. I imagined that Alice and Jasper were most likely traveling in South America. That Emmet was attending a college somewhere on the east coast and that Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme were vacationing in Paris. I could see Rosalie walking out of a store with two men flanking her, carrying her dozens of bags of newly purchased clothing.

The odd thing was that I could never do this with Edward. When I tried, the hole in my chest would throb in pain. The sight of his beautiful face brought back so many painful memories.

I could conceive the day that Edward introduced me to his family. The beautiful song he played for me on the piano began playing in my head…

My sight disappeared and I could see James stalking towards me. I blinked and groaned in fear; It was no good, my eyes still wouldn't zone into reality.

Suddenly, I felt Edward's arms around me, carrying me. I felt tired and weak….

A blaring car horn sucked me back to the present. "Move it lady!"

I exhaled and finished the drive to Angela's. I decided to look past what had just happened and tried to convince myself to believe that I was fine even though I knew I wasn't.

As soon as I pulled into Angela's small driveway and parked behind her dad's truck, she came running out with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Bella! You're here thank God! The jerk was cheating on me!" She opened my truck door and yanked me out.

"Ben?" I said incredulously. I couldn't believe it; Ben would never do that.

She nodded furiously and wrapped her arms around me. I felt utterly smothered. Her tall frame was nearly a foot taller than mine and her arms were squeezing me so tight that I considered calling for help.

"The worst part is that it was with Jessica! She denied everything but I know he was telling the truth. They slept together like a month ago. Can you believe that Bella! An entire month and I just now found out." She wiped her tears away and we entered the house.

"Well how did you find out?" I asked just to make her feel better. I didn't really care at the moment, I actually had something I wanted to tell her.

"Ugh, I don't even want to start on that story." She rolled her eyes and smiled sweetly, "Sorry. It's nothing personal, I just don't want to talk about that."

"No, no it's ok. Actually, I have something I would like to talk about…"

The ghost of surprise passed over her face. My brows pulled together in confusion. I knew I didn't have much to say these past few months but was it really that bad?

She took a sip of water, trying to look casual but I could tell she was jumping in anticipation. "Sure, OK. What's on you're mind?"

One thing that I hadn't mentioned about Angela was that she was undoubtedly trustworthy. I could tell her anything in the world and trust her with it. Although until today I hadn't.

"Well," I looked at my hands and began playing with my fingers. I was hesitating. I going to ruin everything if I told her what I was doing…

Sighing, I looked out the window and readjusted myself in the uncomfortable chair. "I've… been doing some research these past few weeks and need your help."

She smiled and straightened in excitement. Even though she loved mysteries, I highly doubted she would be willing to help once I told her my plan.

"Awesome." She said. "Sure, what do you need? Is it for like a report or something?"

I laughed humorlessly. "Um, no. It's a bit more physical than that… and dangerous."

"Oh, cool! I love danger. Is it like an adventure of some sort?" Her eyes brightened and I smiled shamefully. You have no idea…

I leaned forward and rested my chin on my folded arms. "I need help finding someone."

She blinked, beginning to realize what I was getting at. "Edward?"

I shrugged. "All of them."

"Why?"

I looked around the small kitchen trying to think of an answer. I couldn't come up with a single explanation to give her without revealing what and who the Cullen's really were.

"Bella? Hello in there?" Angela waved her hands in front of my face.

"I can't say I have an answer to that Angela, but will you please help?" I begged with my hands clasped together and with watery eyes that I had accumulated by not blinking for several seconds.

She gave an apologetic look. "Bella, I honestly think you should stay away from him. He hurt you a lot… Forgive me for prying but why is it so important that you're with him?"

I froze. Oh crap. I hadn't thought about her saying no. I never would have guessed she would… What was I supposed to say?

It was important that I was with him because I needed him. He was my everything. Plus, I had not an inch of supernatural around me anymore. That sucked.

A million thoughts began streaming through my mind and I couldn't think straight. Doing the only thing I could think of, I reached for my purse and pulled out the only story I had ever written about the reality of Edward and what he was. I always carried it with me. It felt like a piece of me that I could never separate from. For once, it was good for more than one purpose.

"Angela, I want you to remember what I'm about to tell you for the rest of your life, so listen closely."

Her eyes grew wary but I continued on anyway. "When people say you're not alone, they mean it like someone will always be there to help you through sticky situations. When I say it I mean it in a literal sense. This entire story is literal… Every word in this is true and I know you probably won't believe any of it, but I can't keep it to myself any longer."

I numbly handed her the thirty page story and she looked at me worriedly. I expected her to say something in protest but instead she opened it to the first page and began reading.

I stood up and paced back and forth in the kitchen, biting my nails. Luckily, Angela was the kind of person that would run their finger under the sentence as they read it. I silently glanced over her shoulder.

"I felt his cool lips brush against my jaw and trail down to my collarbone. A part of me wanted to scream at the horror of having a vampire this close to me, but the deeper, more emotional part that I never let anyone see was telling me to accept it because we loved each other. Edward wasn't human, that was evident, but why did he have a way of making me feel like I could feel his heart against mine. As if I was bringing his frozen heart back into rhythm."

I made an impatient face and after twelve more minutes, Angela looked up through the window and sighed. She set the pages down and said nothing.

Anesthetized by her lack of response, I feared the worst. I slowly sat down beside her at the table and she glanced at me from the corner of her eyes.

"Well?" I combusted.

"What exactly do you expect me to say about this?" She asked quietly.

I shrugged and widened my eyes. "I don't know, that's why I had you read it…"

She shook her head and bit her lip, folding her arms across her chest. "Bella I've never doubted that they were unlike humans, but you really expect me to believe that the Cullen's are vampires?"

Every inch of hope that I had in my body evaporated when she said that. Yes. I did expect her to believe me because she was the only one that could believe me.

"I guess not." I looked down and exhaled in disappointment.

We sat in silence for half an hour and finally with watery eyes she sat up and looked at me gravely. "Why did you name it Dust Bella?"

I shook my head in confusion. I really didn't know, it had just seemed like the right fit at the time that I wrote it. "I guess I just named it that because I knew that if I told anyone what is written here, I would be turned to dust."

She laughed, "Bella I'm not saying I believe they are vampires, but I will help you find them."

My eyes lit up and I jumped in her lap, screeching in happiness, "I love you!"

"You better!" She laughed. "Although," she rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure where you would look for a coven of vampires. I don't exactly have any friends that are vampire hunters, do you?" I knew she was joking, but I thought about it anyway. Did vampire hunters exist too?

I smiled, "Actually, I already know where to look."

"Oh, really?" She raised her brows.

I stood up and smiled, shamefaced. I knew they were in Europe, but that was as far as I could get after snooping through several files of different facilities. "Europe… or at least in that general direction."

She widened her eyes and gasped. "Wait Bella I thought-"

A harsh shatter of glass coming from the living room glass cut her off