I remember sitting on the airplane for hours and hours, my thoughts were swirling in my head; my greatest fears were starting to come true. I lost him once, could I survive losing him again? The idea only made me feel even worse, I could feel my chest tightening and I knew I was gasping for breath against Alice's shoulder.
Her cold, strong arm tightened around me, her face pressed against my messy hair. "It's okay, Bella, we're almost there.." she whispers, tugging the blanket around me tighter as she sinks back into silence, her eyes closed, concentrating on what could possibly happen in the very near future.
Even with Alice there, protecting me, holding me, soothing me – I was terrified. And how could I not be? Losing him once was enough, but the fact that he could truly die because he thought I'm dead? It was too much to wrap my mind around. "Stop it, Bella," I whispered to myself, clenching my jaw.
Before too long, the exhaustion had set in and I had fallen asleep, slumped against Alice and fighting my way through the nightmare that seemed like it was never going to end. I hoped with what hope I had left that it was all just a bad dream, but when I woke to Alice yanking on me, my eyes snapped open and I knew where we were. I knew why we were here.
I turned my head to stare at her, trying my best to blink back the tears that began to burn my eyes and nodded slowly before stumbling after her – off of the plane and into the car she had stolen. I was too numb to argue, to put up a fight that she had stolen a car. All that was on my mind was that I now had a chance to save him. I had a chance to save my life, that life, he was my all. A second chance... and it was being given to me of all people.
As Alice sped through the roads, I listened to her, trying to remember every little detail she told me. I knew the basics of what I had to do. What I needed to. I knew why we were here – and I kept repeating to myself that I could do this. This was my second chance… and quite possibly my last chance to be with him. Even if it meant we were together again at the very end of all we knew.
When Alice stopped suddenly, I turned my head slowly to look where I was headed.
"Just go north," she explained in a rush, almost shoving me out of the car.
"North, north, the bell tower," I kept repeating to myself. At least I could see the tower clearly. It was looming over me, reminding me constantly of what was ahead of me. I had two minutes – two minutes to save everything, or the quite possibly the last two minutes of my life.
I ran, gasping for air as I shoved past people, running through the fountain (it was a miracle I didn't slip and drown there), but I kept running. "Edward!" I started screaming, I knew he could hear me over the crowds. "Edward!" I repeated, choking on his perfect name.
I could see him perfectly now – standing there, his palms upturned as he stood on the edge of the shadows. I forced myself to look up ahead at the clock. One minute… I had one minute left. I couldn't breathe, my lungs hurt from fear, from running – I felt like the world was crashing down on me. "EDWARD!" I screamed as I closed in the last few feet between us, slamming into him and almost falling onto the hard concrete below me.
"Edward!" I gasped, trying my best to shove him back further into the shadows. "No, you can't do this!" I yell at him. "Edward! Look at me! STOP!" I scream at him, tears filling my eyes and spilling down my face as I try to fight against him.
And then he looks down into my face and the world stops. His cold hands cover mine and I exhale deeply, shaking from head to toe. "Hmm," he says quietly – staring at me. "Bella," he whispers.
"Please, please.. Edward, I'm here... don't do this, you can't... Don't leave me again," I beg, as he turns to walk around me and into the sunlight as the tower bells begin to ring. "Edward," I whimper loudly, too afraid to turn away. I knew what was coming next – the stunning brilliance of him shining in the light, the screams of the people filling the square… and then death.
Before he could step fully into the light, I remember falling backwards, barely touching the ground before I felt excruciating pain and screaming even though I knew no one but Edward and I could hear the anguished scream. I didn't know what was happening, all I knew was the pain – and I heard his voice, whispering my name over and over again before I fell into darkness.
I don't remember much about the flight home – I remember Edward's arms around me, his quiet voice calming whenever I awoke – I remember feeling the most pain I had ever experienced, but I always fell back into the darkness where I barely felt a thing. Exhaustion simply swept me away now that I knew I was safe – and once I was out, I hardly felt a thing.
When I finally awoke, I was sprawled out on the couch, my hair tangled and all over the place. I was wearing the same outfit I had on when we landed in Italy. My entire body was hard as a rock – and it was cold. I opened my eyes slowly, and even that was too quickly. I felt the room spin and I groaned, turning my face into the cushions at my side.
"Is she awake?" I heard people ask – it seemed to be so much louder, too loud.
"Edward," I gasped, suddenly terrified again.
"I'm right here, Bella," he whispered, nuzzling his cool cheek against mine. "I'm right here, I'm not leaving," he whispered, lips pressing against my temple before he wrapped his arms around my waist and slowly pulled me to sit up. "Open your eyes," he encouraged.
When I did, the first thing I saw was that crooked smile that always made my heart stop. "Edward!" I gasped, studying him for a long moment before I became aware that every single Cullen was gathered in the large living room. Carlisle and Esme were standing side by side against a wall, Alice and Jasper were huddled together in one of the larger recliners and Rosalie and Emmett were standing in the middle of the room.
"Bella," Edward said evenly – quietly, "welcome home..."
I stared at him for a long moment, head tilted – confusion must have crossed my face because he chuckled and brushed hair from my face. And then he leaned down, crushing his mouth against mine – a kiss nothing like what we had shared before.
It was then – that very moment, which I knew exactly what he meant. I pulled away, a smile tugging at my lips for the first time in months – and then I laughed. His cold hands cupped my face, watching me intently, even as I turned to look at each family member – and one by one, they nodded – affirming what I had figured out.