After Bella jumped off the cliff into the sea, she realized how out of control her obsession with Edward had become – and she decided the only way to get over him was to move away. But after just 3 months in Florida with her mother and stepfather, Charlie falls ill with cancer and she is forced to return to Forks to care for him. Edward has become desperate without her and will stop at nothing to get her back – despite her clear desire to remain free of him. When he takes things too far she realizes there is only one way he will leave her alone. What will they do now that Bella is the one who is tempted to kill Edward?

Chapter 1 – Bella

I glanced around anxiously as the cab drew nearer to Forks. I had forgotten how green it was here – it was beautiful. I found myself beginning to lonesome for the town I had claimed as mine not so long ago. I recalled the look on Jacob's face as he watched me pack my things in the middle of the night, anxious to get away from an obsession that had nearly killed me.

"You don't have to go," he had pled. I barely heard him.

"Yes, I do," I responded. I didn't have the patience to explain so I just said, "You can't understand, Jacob. I can't be around him without wanting to be with him. This is the only way."

I tossed a few pairs of socks and my pajamas in the duffle back then ran into the bathroom to fish out my toiletries.

"You could hide away with me for a while," Jacob suggested, "you know we can keep him away."

I shook my head. "He's not the problem. I'm the problem. I'm the one who can't stay away."

"Bella – " he grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye. My impatience flaired and I ripped my hand back, knocking it against the dresser.

"Jacob, quit it," I had cried, "I told you, you can't understand." I went back to packing my things. "It's like an addiction…"

An hour later I was gone, cabbing it to the airport because I couldn't bare the thought of driving my truck so far with so many memories infused into it – not that it would have survived the trip anyways. Mom welcomed me with open arms, of course, excited to see me back. I think she was happy I had let go of Edward too; she seemed a little worried about him. For good reason, I suppose.

The taxi hit a pothole, jarring me from my walk down memory lane as we turned onto my street. Charlie's street, I mean.

We pulled up in front of Charlie's house and I couldn't help feel like I was walking in a dream. Three months. It had only been three months.

It felt like years.

I paid the cabbie and hauled my bag inside, careful not to wake Charlie. I looked at the clock: 9:00pm. Good. I had hoped he'd be in bed already when I arrived; I wanted a chance to habituate myself to my insane old life before attempting to try to deal with his mysterious and nerve-wracking illness. I tiptoed upstairs and pressed my ear up against his bedroom door. Nothing. Good. I considered walking into my old room but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Not yet. I ran back downstairs and pulled a few blankets out of the closet to make up the couch.

I was exhausted. But I was anxious too. Coming home felt traumatic and I wasn't sure I could sleep until I made peace with where I was. It felt like the air in Forks had gone stale and it wouldn't feel real until I walked through every square foot I had once absorbed and reignited it all into the here and now; touched it again, but as the new me. My life here needed to be recreated.

So I went for a walk. I know, it was stupid. But I'd been so far from vampires and werewolves for so long, it was hard to even believe they were real anymore. It was all just a really bad dream, right?

I stepped out into the cool night air and pulled my jacket close around me, making a note to stop by the store the next day for some heavier clothes; this definitely wasn't Florida. I walked down the street, listening intently to crunching of the asphalt beneath my sneakers. An owl hooted and I instinctively found myself looking for Jacob. Silly. No one else was out. Seemed strange, actually; in Florida people were out during all hours of the night. I had become accustomed to falling asleep to the sound of after-hours parties, police arrests, and noisy neighbors. The silence of Forks was a little, well, disconcerting, to say the least.

I crossed the street and continued my journey along the edge of the forest. It occurred to me that Edward could already be there, watching me. I jerked my head around suddenly, surveying the landscape. He'd done it before, and I certainly couldn't put it past him to do it again even after my continuous pleas to be left alone. But if he was nearby, would I be able to feel him? I stopped and did an inventory of my state of mind. Nothing seemed out of place. Well, nothing other than the fact that I was recklessly meandering around town after dark with blood-sucking vampires and deadly werewolves on the loose.

Nope, definitely nothing out of the ordinary.

I heard a sound in the woods; a branch breaking or maybe footsteps. My instincts kicked in and I whirled around, digging my eyes deep into the forest, straining to see what might be in there. It was pitch black. I kept waiting for two glowing eyes to appear before me, but the canvas remained stubbornly lifeless. I started coming to my senses.

This is stupid. I should be at home. I should be far, far away from anywhere Edward or any other vampires could find me.

I turned to race back towards the house, but only got two steps in before I tripped on a rock. I really need to take some balance classes, I thought to myself. I pushed up on my elbows to find my hands had scraped the asphalt and were now bleeding. I scolded myself and started pulling myself to my knees when I heard footsteps behind me. I froze. A deep voice I knew all to well spoke my name.

"Bella? Is that really you?"

I turned my head carefully, fearfully, and looked him straight in the eye.