CHAPTER ONE
This story picks up where Bella is down at the jumping cliffs at La Push. She's just about to jump.
Stephanie Meyer Owns EVERYTHING. I own nothing but a box of Bagel Bites and a computer. Some parts of the story are quoted from New Moon, or in Midnight Sun. Again, DISCLAIMER: Not mine! I didn't write it! Miss Stephenie Meyer did. I will mention if some is quoted.
Reviews are better than Big Macs for me, people. That's pretty major! The more reviews you guys give me, the sooner I shall post up my next chapter! It's waaaitttinnggg for you!
Give and you shall receive, my lovelies.
Bella's POV—
(Disclaimer: Underlined section is snatched from New Moon. That part belongs to Stephenie Meyer.)
I stepped onto the edge, keeping my eyes on the empty space in front of me. My toes felt ahead blindly, caressing the edge of the rock when they encountered it. I drew in a deep breath and held it…waiting.
"Bella."
I smiled and exhaled.
Yes? I didn't answer out loud, for the fear that the sound of my voice would shatter the beautiful illusion. He sounded so real, so close. It was only when he was disapproving like this that I could hear the true memory of his voice—the velvet texture and the musical intonation that made up the most perfect of all voices.
"Don't do this," he pleaded.
You wanted me to be human, I reminded him. Well, watch me.
"Please." It was just a whisper in the blowing rain that tossed my hair and drenched my clothes—making me as wet as if this were my second jump of the day.
I rolled onto the balls of my feet.
"No Bella!" He was angry now, and the anger was so lovely.
I smiled and raised my arms straight out, as if I were going to dive, lifting my face into the rain. But it was too ingrained from years of swimming at the public pool—feet first, first time. I leaned forward, crouching to get more spring…
I felt my body whip backwards away from the edge. Wait, I thought, as I watched the blur of the cliff fading in the distance. I was now aware of what had happened as I felt Jacob's warm arms around me. I waited patiently for him to stop. He set me down on a rotting log. I looked up into his eyes as he slung me across his lap. "Bella!" He said, surprising me with fury evident in his voice. "Yes? What's wrong?" I said, honestly
curious. "What did you think you were doing? Jumping off the top of the cliff, without me! Didn't you realize it was turning into a hurricane out there!?" His voice was booming, and his arms were quivering around me. He took deep breaths, calming himself enough to where he wasn't trembling. "I was bored, and you said you would take me cliff diving today." His eyes were studying my face. "You couldn't have waited for me to come back, so you would be safe?" He was fighting to keep his tone even. "I'm sorry, Jake, it was stupid. I wasn't thinking." "OBVIOUSLY!"
He shouted. I flinched. It was not a pleasant thing to sit on an angry werewolf's lap while he yells in your face. He shut his eyes, once again trying to calm himself. He took a deep breath, and cradled me in his arms, half jogging, and half running back to my truck. I needed to distract him. "So what happened today? Did you find…h-her?" My voice broke. "No. We were about to close in on her and I saw you at the cliffs while I
was chasing after her. So, I had to go get you." He snapped. Oh, no. I thought. I regretted the whole cliff bit. What was I thinking? I just wanted to hear his voice. It was such a selfish thing, to risk my life to hear the voice of the vampire who left me. I kept coming in close proximity with danger, drawing Jacob away from his duties. He shouldn't have to keep swooping down and saving me. We drove in silence on the way back to Billy's house. I was contemplating what to say, what to do, how to make it up to him. I rested my head on his bare shoulder, and I
realized how good this felt. Part of it was how warm he was, part of it was maybe something else… His arm tightened around me. A tear stroked my face. I don't know how to love anymore. I don't know if I can. A part of me is still with him. He stole it, and won't give it back. Jacob shouldn't have to wait for a girl who was unsure if she could love him back. I was still thinking these thoughts as we pulled up to Billy's. It
wasn't like I had drowned, and I was weak or anything. But Jacob quickly put his arm around my waist, leading me inside. He unwrapped it to flip on the lights, and he sat down on the couch, crinkling his forehead and put his face in his hands. I realized he was more upset than I had thought. He looked like he was about to cry. I didn't know what I would do if my personal sun would cry, so I hurried to the couch, snuggling up
tight against his chest. I shut my eyes. His arm that was around me uncurled, grabbing my shoulder, and lifting my chin with his other hand. His body moved back slightly so that he could face me. I froze as I stared into his desperate eyes. I searched his face. His lips puckered slightly, seemingly without his permission. "Bella." He spoke my name. My eyes bored into his. I didn't know what to do. He was moving in slowly.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I would enjoy it. Maybe I could love him. Not like my first, no. I could never love anyone like that ever again. But maybe, if I did have him like boyfriend, he would stop hurting. Maybe I wouldn't hurt so much having him there like that…Maybe… --Be happy--, Edward's voice rung in my head. I could hear the slightest sorrow masked by hope. He leaned in farther, just a few centimeters away from my lips. His warm breath fanned across my face. Then, our lips touched lightly at first, then harder. It was different from any other
kiss I'd had before. There was no hesitation. He broke off suddenly, after what seemed like forever. He looked into my eyes. I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure how it felt. I didn't know what to make of it. "I love you," he said, breaking my train of thought. "I love you, too," I heard another voice call proudly, surprised to find that it was my voice. His face lit up like the fourth of July. It was
worth it to stop his pain. He deserved to be happy. No, it wouldn't be the same. I would never have a love like my first. Never. But I needed to try, and I just had to stop hurting Jacob. He was there for me, always. Patient and loving. Jake had never hurt me the way he had.
Edward's POV—
(Disclaimer: Underlined part is snatched from Midnight Sun. Underlined part belongs completely to Stephenie Meyer.)
I wasn't precisely sure where I was. Some dark attic crawl space, full of rats and spiders. The spiders ignored me, and the rats gave me a wide berth. The air was thick with the heavy scents of cooking oil, rancid meat, human sweat, and the nearly solid layer of pollution that was actually visible in the humid air, like a black film over everything. Below me, four stories of a rickety ghetto tenement teamed with life. I didn't bother to
separate the thoughts from the voices—they made a big, loud Spanish clamor that I didn't listen to. I just let the sounds bounce off me. Meaningless. All of it was meaningless. My very existence was meaningless. My whole world was meaningless. My forehead pressed against my knees, and I wondered how long I would be able to stand this. Maybe it was hopeless. Maybe, if my attempt was doomed to failure anyway, washing away the mountain of pain I was buried under—that it made me gasp, it made me dizzy. I could leave now, I could go back. Bella's
face always behind the lids of my eyes, smiled at me. It was a smile of welcome, of forgiveness, but it did not have the affect of my subconscious probably it intended to have. I can't go back. I promised.