Chapter 1
Sophie's POV
It was just after noon when my sister and brother-in-law arrived at Logan Airport to pick me up after the long flight from my father's home in Forks, Washington. The past year I'd spent bouncing between my father and my mother's place in Florida. And so, after their failed attempts at "straightening" me out, I was shipped off to stay with Bella and Edward at their home in Arlington, Ma. After a warm greeting and a wiggly hug from my niece, Renesmee, I was ushered off to Edward's Volvo and soon found myself watching out the window as we crossed the bridge out of Boston.
"We're so glad to have you, Soph." It took me a moment to even realize Bella was speaking.
"You can sleep in my room, T!" Renesmee squealed. I leaned over to press a kiss to the tip of her chubby little nose which wrinkled up at the tickling sensation. A cherub-like laugh was my reward.
"Maybe you and Auntie can have a sleepover once she gets settled in," Bella smiled lovingly at her daughter. I couldn't get over how much the little girl had grown in the year since I'd seen her last. So much had changed since then; my heart ached at the memories that plagued my every waking thought. A shiver ran down my spin and I closed my eyes to ward off the cloud of pain.
"T?" I felt a tiny hand on my cheek and looked up to see Renesmee looking at me with wisdom beyond her years almost as if she could sense the aching of my heart. "You otay?" she lisped slightly.
"Yeah, sweetheart, just tired," I lied, examining the polish on my crackled fingernails for possibly the fiftieth time since the beginning of our car ride.
"You can get some rest when we get home," Edward was watching me carefully through the rearview so I turned my attention to the pink dip dye job on my blonde hair.
"We kept the afternoon free, but we're spending the evening with the family. They're all dying to see you," Bella explained.
"Yeah," I shrugged, "Sounds good."
When we arrived at their new home in Arlington, Edward carried my bags to my room before Bella took me for a quick tour which ended at the private bathroom I'd be using for my stay. "There are plenty of fresh towels in the cabinet, and you can take all the time you need to get settled in. We'll have lunch when you're ready," she started toward the door before returning to pull me into a tight embrace. "I've missed you, we all have." With that, I found myself alone. I ran the shower, stripping down before stepping into the steaming water. A quick reach into my bag and my hand rested on the prize. The blade glistened in the light before meeting its purpose creating a crimson line across my thigh. The release came quickly as blood mixed with water and tears in the base of the stall. Another stroke followed by another with each bringing a deeper feeling of control. Ten should do, I decided. Allowing the room to fill with the steam of the shower, I lost myself for the moment, absorbing each sting as it covered the pain of the past eleven months.