Hi everyone! After the great response to The Phone I decided I would publish it from Edwards POV. Big thanks to all who reviewed The Phone and big thanks in advance to anyone who writes a review for this story!
This story is set in New Moon and based off of the idea what if Bella and not Jacob picked up the phone when Edward called?
I would suggest reading The Phone (same story but from BPOV) first but you can read this first and still understand fine.
-Ladynobody
EPOV
Chapter 1- The Phone
The call came at one of my most desperate moments. My hand was on the door, it had been that way for the past 47 minutes. I wanted to turn the knob and run, run back to her. Back to my Bella, back to my angel. But the voice of reason was loud and persistent. Granted it was nowhere as loud as it used to be. No it was much softer now, now that I was so desperate. Leaving her was the hardest thing I had done in my unnaturally long life, but staying away was in close competition.
For so long I distracted myself with the duty that I had to her to keep her safe. I tracked Victoria, the last person able to hurt Bella, and was fairly close to finding her until I took a bad tip. My mind had been so distracted with thoughts of Bella I had failed to hear the lies in the others minds. I had failed Bella once again. That was how I ended up here in Rio; this God forsaken hell hole. It was not Rio that was so bad but the fact that I was not with my love. It was only the fact that she was better with me as far from her as possible that kept me from returning months ago. That kept me from returning now.
I sighed and lowered my hand. This was not a new struggle, I had once gone as far as the front door of the hotel before returning to my room again, wishing for death, or at least sleep. Something to take away this ever growing pain. I always thought that in no way could I feel more pain until I would see a girl on the street blush. It was nowhere near as lovely as my angels pink cheeks but it was a reminder.
At first I would run. But even running brought me no relief so I simply lied down and drowned in memories of Bella. I would replay the most magical of moments in my all too sharp memory. I deserved any pain that I had to endure. In truth it was nothing compared to the pain I had felt at our last parting. Any time that I contemplated returning I forced myself to remember the look on my angels face as I broke her heart.
I had thought that she would go straight back to her house leaving me just enough time to remove the evidence of my existence. I had not been strong enough. Within the first few seconds of my promise to her I had already broken it by leaving a bit of myself with her; hidden under the floor boards. The pictures, tickets, CD, all of it.
Realizing that Bella was not coming towards the house as I had intended for her to do I was torn. Every instinct craved to run after her and bring her to safety, but that would not help. I wrote a note for Charlie in a perfect replica of my beloved's hand writing. Upon reaching where her signature should be, I could only write a B. Her name brought too much pain. I ran as fast as I could away from her, unable to leave the memories of her there. They followed me across the world to this cheap hotel.
I was surprised when I saw the number appear on my cell phone. Rosalie had not spoken to me since I had made the decision to leave, forcing everyone one else in my family to leave as well.
After staring at the ringing phone for more time then I needed I reluctantly answered it. "Rosalie?"
"Edward, I am so sorry, but you need to know." Know? Know what? What had happened that would drive Rosalie to call me? And then it hit me. Bella. I was already out the door.
"Alice saw it happen," I was down the stairs.
"She swears she was not looking on purpose." I forced myself to slow to an almost human speed as I went to through lobby.
"She was on a cliff over the ocean," I was thanking God for the cloud coverage and running through the back streets too fast for any human eye to see me.
"She jumped. Her future went black Edward."
The scream that I had been holding back since the moment I left her broke through, multiplied by the sheer agony that I was feeling.
Bella was gone.
Dead.
No! No! NO!
The only thing in my life that mattered. Images that had tortured me since I first laid eyes on my beloved flashed through my mind, each one causing more pain than before.
Why? Why her? Was it suicide? Had I caused her to kill herself? After I had worked so hard to save her, I had killed her. My worst fear was realized. Even without me there I still killed her. The part of me I had thought at one time was not a monster never existed. I am demon sent straight from the deepest depths of hell to kill heavens most perfect angel. And hell is where I would go again.
The plans I had made in Phoenix when I had thought I was too late came back to me. The Volturi. It was the only way. I would NOT live in a world that Bella did not exist. I crushed my cell phone easily in my hand so that no one could reach me and ran as fast I could to the airport.
*****
I will never know what possessed me to pick up the pay phone in the airport. My one way flight to Italy was about to board but I found myself staring at the phone. My thoughts had stopped making sense after I crushed my cell. My body was simply acting on instinct, driven by some other force then my mind. My mind was occupied with a single image.
Bella, cold, lifeless, skin tinted blue from death. Her lip silenced, never to speak my name again. Her cheeks never again to blush crimson.
I had to know, had she died because of me?
I reached for the phone and quickly punched in the familiar number. I decided that I would pretend to be Carlisle, perhaps then Charlie would speak to me.
The phone rang three times before I heard the click of the phone being answered. I did not even let Charlie speak before I started.
"Charlie? This is Carlisle Cullen." I waited for him to yell, to tell me what had happened, but it did not come.
"Edward?" I sucked in an unneeded breath. Was it possible? Could it really be true? Was Bella alive? It sounded like her voice but there was something different about it, a pain that was not there before.
I could not speak. Lightning ran through my veins. It was as if I was being awoken from a deep sleep. My Bella was alive.
"Edward please, please, just listen. I am so sorry. I know that you don't love me but I love you. I can't change that." She still loved me? How was that even possible, after all that I had done to her? As this joy ran through me I realized what else she had said. She thought I did not love her. If only she knew; it was all for her, because I loved her so much.
I heard her sob on the other end. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of me. I was still hurting her. I never should have called, I should have gone through with my plan to die and let her live her life in peace. If I loved her I should have hung up the phone then, but it was impossible. Not when I knew she would still speak. Her voice was so beautiful, even in pain.
"I miss you Edward. You told me I would move on and be happy but I can't, because every time I close my eyes I see you and every thought I have is about you. If you could give me a chance I can change. I will be whoever you want me to be. Change me, bite me, I can be like you then and you will never have to pretend again." What was she saying? I had already hurt her so much; I could never do it again. "Please just come back to me. Please… I can't breathe when you are not here… please… please… please…" The pain in her voice overwhelmed me. Every word she uttered pierced my dead heart. I wanted so desperately to run to her. To take her in my arms and shield her from the world. What had I done to my beautiful angel?
"I am so sorry Bella." It was all I could say. How could I ever explain just how sorry I truly was? I forced myself to hang up the phone. I had to go back. I never wanted to hurt her; I thought she would move on, humans do that. But my Bella had never done anything the way normal humans did.
Yes, I would go back.