Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Twilight.

Betrayal

I was waiting on the cliffs for Sam. I watched the sun dip low on the horizon and glanced at my watch for what seemed like the millionth time. We were supposed to go hiking and he was over an hour late. I opened the bag I had slung over my shoulder and pulled out an apple. I took one bite and looked up to see Sam watching me from about ten feet away. "What are you staring at?" I teased. It was then that I noticed the look on his face, it wasn't playful, or happy, it was agony.

"What's going on Sam?" I asked, as I slid off the rock and stepped towards him.

"Don't come any closer," he said gently.

"What do you mean?" I demanded as I took another step toward him.

"Leah, don't. Just don't."

"What happened, Sam?"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. I mentally tabulated a list of people who could be hurt. My mind immediately flashed to my father; I knew his heart wasn't in the best shape. I wondered if Seth had been hurt playing. I couldn't handle the thought of anything happening to my sweet, carefree, little brother.

"Who?" I breathed.

Sam dropped his gaze to the ground and I prepared myself for the blow. "It's me. I… I found someone else."

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach at the same moment a knife was twisted into my heart. My lungs collapsed with the force of the pain and I forced myself to look him in the face.

"YOU WHAT?" I shouted. My world was falling out from beneath my feet. "What are you talking about?" I felt myself falling forward. Suddenly Sam was there, holding me up. I pushed him backwards. "Don't touch me."

I backed away from him, trying to keep the tears from spilling from my eyes. I tried to see him through the blur. "How could you do this to us?" I demanded. I thought about our plans for the next year. We were planning to go away to school together. I had thought marriage wasn't far off.

"I'm sorry. It just happened. Leah I am so sorry."

"Who is the bitch?" I breathed. I intended to smash her face in. I looked up. Sam didn't want to tell me. He was probably afraid I'd kill her. "Well?"

"It's… Emily…"

I hadn't expected that. My cousin Emily, the one I had always seen as more of a sister. She was my best friend; the one person who knew me as well as myself.

"Well that's great. Does she know?"

When he nodded I felt like I might just keel over from the pain that gripped every part of me. I suddenly couldn't deal with this, with him. I started running into the woods, not caring where I ran to as long as it was away from him.

No matter how fast and hard I ran it did nothing to block out the pain. It seared through me and finally I stopped running and let myself fall forward into the dirt. I leaned back against the trunk of a tree, pulled my knees into my chest, buried my face and let the pain consume me. I cried until I had nothing left in me. Then I sat in silence trying to comprehend how my best friend and the love of my life could get together behind my back. The anger that flooded me felt welcome. It felt safe. It took the pain away. That was when I decided it was all I needed. I didn't need to be in pain. He wasn't worth causing me pain. Even though deep down I knew I didn't believe that, I allowed all of my anger to quell the burn until all that was left was numbing fury.