"Come for a walk with me", I suggested. I took her warm hand in my icy one and led her towards the forest, stopping just short of it. My heart screamed in protest as I prepared to break my own still heart. "Okay, lets talk", she said. She sounded so scared and I longed to take her in my arms and tell her everything was alright but I steeled myself against the emotions. "Bella, were leaving." "Why now, another year?.

"Bella, it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty and he's pushing thirty three now. We'd have to start over soon regardless."

She seemed uncomprehending and confused and my heart felt as though it was being ripped from my chest and cast upon the ground, but I deserved every moment of the pain. Every single second of the rest of my miserable existence I would suffer for her, but she would be safe. This was a worthy price to pay. Comprehension suddenly dawned on her face and panic showed clearly. "When you say we-," She whispered. "I mean my family and myself." Each word was separate and distinct and I felt like a monster. "Okay, I'll come with you."

This was ridiculous, I was leaving to save her, she could not come.

"You can't, Bella. Where we're going… It's not the right place for you.

"Where you are is the right place for me."

"I'm no good for you Bella."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're the very best part of my life."

"My world is not for you."

"What happened with Jasper- that was nothing, Edward, nothing!"

"You're right, It was exactly what was to be expected." The idea of her being hurt terrified me, I could barely stand to picture it. She had tears in her eyes and I felt like a monster.

"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-"

"As long as was best for you,"

"No! This is about my soul isn't it?" She shouted at me, obviously furious. Somehow it still sounded like a plea. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you- it's yours already." I took a deep breath and steeled myself to speak aloud the most atrocious lie I had ever and will ever speak. "Bella, I don't want you to come with me."

"You…don't…want me?" The pain in her voice would have brought tears to my own eyes had I been able to cry. "No" how could the simplest of words cause me so much pain. I fought to regain my composure.

"Well that changes things." I was surprised how calm her voice sounded.

"Of course, I'll always love you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm… tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human. I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

"Don't, don't do this" Her voice was feeble and laced with pain, but this was what was best, I knew this.

"You're no good for me, Bella"

"If… that's what you want." I nodded once, afraid I would break down if I said anything.

"I would like to ask one favor though," This was the most I could ask of her now.

"Anything."

"Don't do anything reckless or stupid. Do you understand what I'm saying?" She nodded once.

"I will" she whispered and I relaxed just a little. I would be better off knowing she was at least safe.

"I'll make you a promise in return. I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I never existed." If only I could say the same about her, but I would remember her forever. She would exist for me forever. I smiled gently "Don't worry. You're human- your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind." If only time would heal the wound I was infliction on myself. No amount of time would heal this pain, the pain like a knife carving out my heart and throwing it, still beating upon the ground. A thousand times worse than being changed. "And you memories?" The question caught me somewhat off guard and I lied again, for what felt like the thousandth time. "Well, I won't forget, but my kind… we're very easily distracted." I plastered a fake calm smile on my face. "That's everything I suppose. We won't bother you again."

"Alice isn't coming back."

"No, they're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

"Alice is gone?"

"She wanted to stay goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you." I had had a hard time convincing her, too. "Goodbye Bella." Her name, her scent, her face. They were all emblazoned in my mind and I knew, that no matter how hard I tried, I would never forget. I would not even try. I deserved the pain.

"Wait!" She reached for me and I automatically caught her wrists and pinned them to her sides. I kissed her, once, on her forehead and whispered "Take care of yourself." I raced back to the house and I heard her enter the forest, trying to follow my. I found a piece of paper and wrote Charlie a note in a perfect imitation of her messy scrawl."Going for a walk with Edward, up the path. Back soon, B." In less than a second the note lay on the table and I was running. Away from the only place I had ever been truly happy. The only place I would be truly happy, and in doing this, I left my heart behind. I may as well be dead.