"But I love you," he said, looking desperately into her eyes.
"I'm not doing this to hurt you," she said quietly, thankful that she were unable to produce the tears to accompany the catch in her voice.
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.
"We belong together," he explained sadly as she turned to face him for one last time. He looked up at her from underneath his dark lashes. Although the rain dripped down his face, her guilt made her feel as there were also some tears mixed in with the drops.
"After everything you went through with Bella, everything she put you through… you have become such an incredible person." She smiled in an attempt to lighten the dark cloud that covered his expression. "I really am so proud of you," she added, gently placing her small hand on his arm.
The dark cloud still in his eyes, the smile on her face wavered. "I am so very proud of you for moving on. And you should continue to do so. But just not with me."
"I love you," he repeated, looking at her with a look that broke her heart.
"But I don't love you," she answered, the lie breaking her heart as it left her mouth.
"We belong together," he said once more. "Sleepless Beauty and the Beast." A sad, forced smile spread over one side of his lips. He were simply trying to be strong for her, breaking her heart even more to see.
"But this Sleepless Beauty already has Prince Charming. She doesn't want the Beast." Her face hardened, her tone indicating finality. "I'm sorry I let whatever this is between us go on for so long. Goodbye, Jacob."
She turned on her heel and walked away, forcing herself to keep an even pace that showed no hesitation.
She wanted to turn and run back into his arms, to tell him that he were right. But, as she swore she felt a tear fall, she willed herself on. She needed to let him go, because that was what was best for him. She could not be selfish with him. He still had a chance at having everything she wanted. And she was not going to take that away from him.
She thought of the fairytales she had been read as a child; those same ones that had not changed now, nearly one hundred years later, as she read them to her niece. All of the girls in those stories got their happy endings. She supposed that she had gotten her happy ending, in a bittersweet sort of way. She had eternal beauty, and a handsome vampire prince had come along and swept her off her feet.
As she walked deeper into the forest, however, all she could think of was the beast she had left behind, wishing with all her heart that she could be the beauty to turn him back into a prince.
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