By Jessica Aram

Penultimate chapter of Twilight

There was no way I was going to give in. Every single part of my frail human body wanted to live the rest of its life with Edward. I would wait forever to become a vampire if it meant that I could live a happy, pain free and careless life with him. I didn't want to wait forever though; I wanted it there and then. I knew there would be no going back to being human; but when you love someone so much, you don't care about anything other than them. Charlie, Renée and my best friend, Jacob, would be left behind. It almost killed me to think of it. I would be living the high life and they would be going about their normal business as normal people. I'd never see them. It would be impossible for me to live in the human world whilst being a vampire. There would be the obvious reasons that I couldn't show myself in public but there would also be the not so obvious reasons; the obvious being that I would be thirsty for human blood until I trained myself to become a 'vegetarian' and my skin would sparkle like diamonds in the sun; people would know straight away what I was. And the not so obvious reasons would be that I wouldn't be Isabella Swan anymore. I'd still carry the name Isabella Swan but I wouldn't be the same in myself. I'd be a vampire for Christ's sake! All of my human emotions and abilities would be out of the window and replaced with extreme knowledge and power.

'Bella?'

I heard a soft whisper in my ear but I couldn't register my brain to answer it.

'Bella?!'

I felt Edward's hands grow tighter around my arms. I'd fallen into a trance. I was dreaming of the future with this perfect man.

'Oh…' was all I was able to say.

'Bella! Why…what's wrong?' He was worried now. I could hear the tone of his voice; it was deeper than usual as though he had a lump stuck in his throat. He almost sounded scared. I'd never seen him in that sate before.

I managed to bring myself back to reality and realised that I was stood on my own. My hands were held loosely by my side.

I frantically looked around for Edward. My head began to spin and it was full of terrible thoughts. I ran inside to Jessica and Mike.

'Edward?'

'Bella, what's…?'

'Where's Edward, Jessica?'

'What do you think I am, a babysitter?!' She exclaimed.

'Hey, Bella, I think he went to his car. I saw him earlier in the lot.' Mike pointed towards the lot with a huge frown on his face.

'Thanks!'

'You're welcome, anytime!' Jessica replied with a massive gush of sarcasm.

I ran for the lot, well, I tried to run. Having my leg in a cast and trying to run wasn't the easiest task. I came to his car but he wasn't sat in the driver's seat. He was sat in the back with his knees brought up to his chest and his chin resting on them.

I pulled open the door and jumped in beside him, slamming the door shut as I got in.

'Edward?'

He looked at me.

'What just happened back there Bella?'

'I…dunno what you mean?'

I moved closer to him and he turned his whole body towards me.

'I was worried about you Bella! I love you, you know that but I can't do it to you.'

'What? Why not?'

'I've never known anyone as serious as you. People have come and gone over the years and not one has been like you, ever.'

'Whoa! What are you saying? Are you gunna leave me? Please, Edward, please don't do this to me!'

That was when I began to panic.

'I'm not leaving you Bella. I told you in the hospital that I'm not going anywhere!'

'Then tell me what you mean Edward because I have no idea what you're talking about and I certainly can't read minds like you can.'

'Bella. I can't change you.'

'I know, you just said that like an hour ago.'

'But you won't give in will you? I know what you're like. I don't want to take your life from you.'

He looked at me and his eyes almost sucked me in. I felt as though I was disappearing into…nothing. Every memory of our time together rushed through my head. I began to feel queasy and started to feel a deep pain in my chest. My heart paced faster than usual and almost burst out of my chest.

'I…I…don't…'

'Bella don't play games! You know exactly what I'm saying.'

'But…why?'

'I told you. It's because I love you. I can't bring myself to do that to you. I'll be taking everything from you that you deserve and will be giving you everything that you don't deserve. The pain that you would feel Bella…I don't want to see you that way. I've been through it myself and it hurt like crazy. Please, don't make me do this. Actually, I'm not asking you; I'm telling you! I won't do it!'

'You won't do it for me?'

'No Bella, I can't.'

'But Alice saw it, Edward, when I was dying at the ballet studio. Don't you remember?'

'As I said before; Alice's visions are subjective. Things change. The future will change.'

'Ok, if that's how you want to play it, I'll find another way.'

'No, Bella!'

'Look, I have no idea where this has come from. You were fine earlier. It didn't seem to bother you. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?'

'It's not all of a sudden. It's been building up inside me from the day I met you. I knew what you would do.'