Summary: Bella Swan makes a choice with her life on the line, one that sends ripples into the very foundation of everything she knows. It sends her to the opposite coast of the nation, to live with her Aunt Esme in the quiet town of Forks, Washington. Bella shows little interest in her new life, instead promising herself to withdraw from those around her in order to better keep her growing list of secrets to herself. That is until she meets a boy named Edward Cullen, whom she seems to be inexplicably drawn to without her consent. Will she let him get close enough to find out those secrets swirling around her? Will the past she thought she left behind come creeping back out of the past to haunt her? AU, All Human.
A/N: So this is my first time writing anything to do with Twilight and I'm very nervous. Very. So please comment and give me back some kind of feedback so I can learn and go from there. This Chapter is pretty short, because it's just kind of the introduction. Hopefully it's okay!
Chapter One: Velvet Snow
The icing caking itself over every surface turned the world into a blur as it sped by. Frozen rain and flakes of snow clung to each branch, every blade of grass and tuft of brush that edged itself along the side of the back country road. The headlights crept their way up into the wintry masterpiece, illuminating the shine until it glittered fleetingly before passing by. The white blur was too quick, too blurry for her wide eyes. Averting themselves, they flipped to the speedometer. When the numbers registered, she wished they hadn't. Brown eyes fluttered shut, desperate to ignore; to push it away.
"Why can't you just do things the right way, ever?"
The screeching words tugged her eyes back open, back aware to the flashing of the world around her.
"The right way ..as in your way? Your way is the right way?"
A huff left her mother's lips. She could only imagine the pursing that followed.
"You're such a little bitch, you know that?"
A taut muscle in her jaw twitched. "Yes, you've told me twice already today."
The weather outside seemed to crawl and creep it's way up into her skin, depositing icicles on her insides. Goosebumps peppered up in patches on her covered skin as she felt the jolt of the engine revving up another notch. The vehicle underneath her seemed to sense the danger, the wheels loosing their traction; fingers loosing grip on the road beneath them.
"I don't know what I did to deserve this. What did I do in my life to deserve you?"
Her mother's words sharpened the already hardened ice making its home known in her chest. The pieces dug in deep, nudging themselves in until there was no going back; no way to escape.
Her eyes found the patch of black that shone in the light stemming from the car before her mind could catch up. The tires caught it, loosing hold on the road completely. Her mother jerked the wheel of the car back away from its new direction towards the side of the road. The surrounding trees loomed closer as the tires locked and a screech sounded from the useless brakes.
Her hand was on the handle of the door before she even thought about it. A tug unlatched it, a push swung it open. The white world was there now; streaming by like water in a river. A glance there, a look out the windshield at the trees approaching at an unforgiving rate- a choice to make. Which option was more painful?
With seconds to decide, her mind flirted with the decision. It tinkered with the option of meeting the trees head on, of greeting them like old friends; shaking hands with the fate of death, of an end to the constant beating she took day in and day out. It would be over. Peace could be there, in the end.
Maybe it was that her nature rejected peace and quiet; like oil on water that sent her tumbling out the door of the car and crashing to meet the frozen grass. The speed the car was traveling at was the undoing of the choice, the flaw as she rolled again and again before reaching a stop at the same moment metal hit wood.
The cold seeped through her layers as she lay, motionless on her back. The only sound was the hiss of steam she imagined was rising from the hood of the car. A shiver ran up her spine, jolting through her body and shaking the broken bones she knew were there. A gasp pushed its way from her, puffing from her lips in a cloud of visible air. It transformed into a strangled pull of air into her lungs, shock making itself present and accounted for. Trembling fingers slid downwards, wedging between two pieces of hard fabric. Already numb tips fumbled to grasp it and tug it out. Cringing in the sudden light of the screen, her eyes took a second to focus before she pressed a series of keys on the cell phone.
The shivering overtook her body, the phone jerking against her ear as she held it close.
The other end answered, her eyes closed with grace. "Help me."
It was a whisper, but it was heard.
"Just off Chesnut. Before the bridge."
The line silenced, her fingers dropping the phone carelessly down into the snow billowing up beneath her head. It had soaked through her hair, scratching at her scalp and neck with raw hatred.
Another choked push of air escapes, leaving breathing to be a struggle, at odds with the stuttering tremors of her body.
And there was nothing to do but wait.
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The rip of the stitching that brought two pieces of fabric together rang out over the beat of the song. The sound was ignored. The bass sunk into her bones, stringing them along with her muscles; matching the slap of her feet along the floor. Her head dipped forward, long brown hair cascading down over her face, covering her nose and mouth. It rolled to the side as she rotated, leaning her body into a spin and whipping her hair against the skin of her cheeks instead.
The music stopped and her eyes whipped open, body stopped mid-motion.
"The doctor said no dancing."
"Fuck the doctor."
"No thanks, I don't swing that way."
"Funny."
He didn't come in any further than the doorway. "You ripped your dress."
Confusion brought together her eyebrows before she remembered the sound of the occurrence taking note somewhere in the back of her head. The small slit that had been carved into the hem of the deep black dress when it was bought was now elongated, rising above one of her hip bones. The lace of her underwear peeked out through the crack. She couldn't even bring herself to care enough to cover it.
"Yeah. I guess I did."
Her gaze lingered on the lace, focusing on anywhere but his face. Her heart couldn't bear to examine the look on his face- the look she knew he had set there, without even seeing it. It was the same expression he had carved into his face ever since the moment she opened her eyes to the sound of his voice, his arms reaching out to lift her from the snow.
She couldn't bear to see it again.
"Speaking of, nice suit."
A beat passed in silence. Her gaze moved to the floor.
"How was the funeral?"
"Pretty standard."
"Yeah?"
No response came, gut reaction brought her eyes up to his. The look was there. Of course, it was.
"That dress would have went nice with my suit, you know."
"I meant it to."
"Then ..what happened along the way?"
"I left the house, turned the wrong way, ended up here."
Her right arm referenced the room housed in the dance studio, a place where she spent many years of her life.
"Simple enough."
A calculating look layered on top of the other one. She took it in for a moment.
"I know I'll regret it. I know." She ran her right hand through her hair, leaving it in even more of a tangled mess. "I couldn't bring myself to go and pretend to be upset. I figured that would be more of an insult than not going. So here I am."
The right arm extended out, the action coupled with the left and she was left cringing. Fingers covered the cast encasing the whole of the forearm on the left side. Teeth clenched down upon her bottom lip as he closed the gap between them. His hands fluttered to hers, taking them gently into his grasp.
"Bella."
Her head hung, chin almost to her chest.
"I can understand. You can talk to me about this."
Her throat tightened and she swallowed automatically.
"You know I'll still love you no matter what you say."
That brought her head up, thought she still didn't meet his eyes. "Will you?"
It left her mouth before she had the chance to take it back.
"Of course."
Deep brown eyes snapped to his, taking his attention. "Will you?"
Something came into his eyes then, breaking through the look that had been etched on his face for the past week. The look disappeared and in its place stood doubt; it grew more and more evident until it took over his features. His mouth worked as though he was trying to control it before his head started to shake.
Her head shook in nods. "I don't blame you. What kind of daughter doesn't go to her mother's funeral? What kind of daughter doesn't call 911 when her mother crashes her car into a tree? What kind of person does that? I wouldn't have unconditional feelings of affection towards me either."
Breaking eye contact, she pulled her hands out of his gently. "They're sending me to live with my Aunt in Washington. I'm leaving tomorrow. All my stuff is packed and in my car. I won't be back here. Ever."
"Bella, I-"
Brown met deep brown, almost black, as their eyes met again. Using her uninjured hand, she traced a trail up his warm cheek. "Thank you for what you've done for me. Thank you for everything. I want you to be happy. Be happy. That's it."
Her hand dropped, falling to her body as heavy as lead. She stepped around him as he remained motionless. Her feet took her to the door before turning back around.
"Goodbye, Jacob."