The End

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the plot. That genius is all SM's. (New Moon 67-75).

"Come for a walk with me," she suggested in an unemotional voice, taking my hand.

I don't think there was anything in the world I wouldn't have given up at that moment to know what she was thinking.

She pulled me to the forest. With every step, I felt cold dread blooming in my chest, pushing against my lungs and stilling my breath.

We stopped a few steps into the forest. She wasn't looking at me. Her eyes roamed the forest, moving from the muddy ground to the trees, to the sky, and back to the ground.

"Bella?" I was afraid to move. Please let everything be ok, I begged in my mind. "Bella, what's-"

"I want you to leave Edward." Her eyes locked onto mine.

Blackness clouded my vision. Comprehension eluded me. Sensing such, Bella sighed.

"I don't want you in my life anymore Edward. I can't do this. Really, it's the best for both of us."

The best for both of us… My mind processed these words sluggishly.

She didn't want me anymore. It finally clicked. The thing that I had been dreading and hoping for all of these months had finally come to pass. I had told her that as long as she wanted me, I would be there for her. And she didn't want me.

"You can leave and I'll act like I never knew you," she continued, oblivious to the searing agony running through my veins. I stared at her and she stared back without apology. Her eyes, warm and loving and sweet, stared back at me without trepidation. I felt like I could see into them for miles and miles, yet nowhere in their bottomless depths could I see a contradiction to the words she's spoken.

"And I promise I'll keep the Cullen family secret. I won't tell anyone anything." I resisted the childish impulse to fling myself to the ground and beg. Instead, I stared.

"You don't want me." It wasn't a question, yet she nodded anyway.

"I'll always love you Edward," she murmured, her voice soft and urgent. "But I can't be something I'm not."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. The world, brimming with color and light only hours before, was cold and empty. The light filtering through the trees kissed her face gently. I had to clench my hands into fists to keep from stroking her cheek.

A humorless smile touched her face. "Don't worry. I would have died in 50 years or so anyway."

Suddenly, the pain became unbearable. Rancid images flashed through my head: Bella laughing, Bella hand-in-hand with Mike Newton, Bella kissing another man, Bella marrying, Bella sleeping, Bella … Bella… Bella…

I turned away so she wouldn't see the agony twisting me face.

"Well." I could hear the rustle of fabric as she raised her shoulders in a shrug. "That's all then. Say goodbye to your family for me."

She turned to leave. Before I could control myself, I felt my hand snake out to grab her wrist. She turned, her eyes hard. "Good bye Edward." She tugged he wrist and I released her, aghast at my own moment of weakness.

My desire to live crumpled in a heap. Words cannot describe the inferno burning me from the inside out.

With every step she took, the sky became blacker.

A/N: Huh. Well that didn't turn out in any way how I expected it to. Not sure of I like it or not. What do you guys think? I tried to keep the direct quotes to a minimum. I would have loved to give Edward more of a voice, but it was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. Reviews are always appreciated and the favor will be returned.