Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Quotes from New Moon are property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 1 You Don't Fool Me
"Wait!" I choked as I stared at him for an interminable amount of time.
"Take care of yourself," Edward said with quiet, peaceful voice, walked to me and kissed the top of my head and started to turn around.
My mind in that moment started wandering by itself, remembering all the times I spent with him. Suddenly, out of the blue, one moment stood out:
We were at school cafeteria at lunch, discussing Edward's saying goodbye to me.
"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it" — he shook his head, seeming to struggle with the thought — "if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe."
I glared. "And you don't think I would do the same?"
"You'd never have to make the choice."
Suddenly I realized that this is the moment he spoke about. I reeled from that thought, because it might mean that he loves me so much that he is prepared to do anything to keep me safe. Me, plain, ordinary Bella!
I looked long at him. He began to turn around and prepared to leave. When I saw that, I started to feel angry at him. He was still looking at me, his face a stony mask, however, I now knew what he was trying to do. I narrowed my eyes to him.
"I don't believe you," I said with anger seeping to my voice.
He turned back almost in an instant.
"You think I lied?" he responded, sounding almost shocked.
"Yes, Edward, I think you just lied."
"And care to elaborate why?" his voice sounded almost accusingly. I knew better, however.
"Remember, our first lunch together in the school cafeteria, when I asked you why it looks like you try to tell me goodbye?" I asked him.
"Yes, I remember that, Bella. And why is this important right now?" he replied trying to sound uninterested and exasperated.
"You know, I remember that too, and I just remembered the most important thing from that," I smiled at him, my anger giving way to love I would still feel for this pained, tortured boy. Edward's face changed in a blink of an eye from stone mask to soft, almost wary smile.
"And what is it?", he asked me, almost in a whisper.
"That you love me so much that you would rather leave me than hurt me in any way," I whispered too, my voice betraying my emotions, as always.
Edward stood there, his expression shocked from my declaration.
"Bella..." he whispered almost inaudibly, my name sounded from his lips as never before.
"Am I right?" I asked with trepidation. Although just a while ago everything made perfect sense, I still couldn't believe that he would go to such great lengths to ensure my safety from greatest danger he perceived: himself. In the same moment he looked at me, his face full of remorse, pain and sadness.
"Bella, I...I don't deserve you, never have. I care too much for you to hurt you or put in any danger. I want you to have life you deserve."
Now it was my turn to be shocked. How could he of all men feel this way? He was perfect and if anything, it was the other way around.
"Edward, I don't think that it is up to you to decide what I deserve. I know now that you have best intentions in mind, but it is up to me to decide what I deserve and what I want. And I want you to be with me, always."
"But what if there is another incident like on your birthday? Aren't you afraid that something like that will happen again? I...I don't want for anything happen to you and I have to admit that leaving you was the only option I could think of to achieve that."
I sighed. I had to get though his thick skull how wrong was that. I couldn't live without him anymore than I couldn't live without oxygen. Suddenly an idea popped into my mind.
"Edward, you are wrong about that. So very wrong. Can you please call Alice now? Or better yet, let's visit your family. "
"Why? What do you want to do?"
"I want you to see what would happen if you went through with your disappearing act."
"And what would that achieve?" he asked skeptically.
"I don't think that the result would be what you intended. You said you want me to have happy life without you, you should see if that would be the case," I warned him, my anger at his rash and thoughtless decision coming back in vengeance.
"Bella,I thought about it quite a long time. I love you, you know that, but I really don't see how to protect you from ourselves and others like us. We are … I am danger to you and I don't want anyone to hurt you, not even if it is me."
Well, now I had enough of all of this self-sacrificing crap he was spouting.
"Yes? You really do love me and don't want anyone to hurt me? Well, let me say this, just this once. You know what and who hurt me most? It wasn't James when he bit me, it wasn't even Jasper when he tried to attack me and don't get me started on Tyler's van. It was you, just a few words from your mouth just a while ago that you don't love me and that you will leave! I was thinking that I would die right there and then! So don't tell me that you don't want to hurt me, because you just did, Edward!"
Edward just stood frozen, his eyes stared at me wide open, shocked at my outburst.
I turned around and started walking towards my house.
Only then I heard his voice.
"Are you leaving me, Bella?"
A/N: My first story, please review :)