Chapter One

Edward's Departure

BPOV

Something was wrong. Edward hadn't said a word to me during school and I could see how tense he was just by the way he walked. Edward drove me home just like always, but when we pulled up to my house he just sat in the car without saying anything.

"Edward what's going on? You've been acting weird all week."

My voice was enough to pull Edward out of his thoughts and he turned to look at me.

"Bella would you take a walk with me? We need to talk."

"Sure."

Edward smiled at me and then came and opened the door for me. I got out of the silver Volvo slowly not sure of what was going on or of the reasons why Edward was acting so cold and distant toward me.

Edward grabbed my hand and led me to the woods that were only about 100 ft away from my house. We had only been walking for about 30 seconds when he stopped and turned to face me.

"Bella, we're leaving."

I sighed in relief when I heard what he had said. I wasn't really expecting this but at least I could handle it. I would just have to come up with a story to tell Charlie before we left. I was curious about his reasons though. What had made him come to this conclusion?

"Alright, but why are we leaving? Edward what's going on?"

"Bella when I said we…I meant my family and myself. This isn't working out."

I looked at him and couldn't believe what I had just heard. It didn't make any sense to me.

"I'm sorry, I just hallucinated. What?"

Edward spoke his next words slowly and clearly.

"Bella, this," he said indicating the space in between us with his hand, "isn't working out. You aren't good for me Bella and this relationship isn't good for either of us."

Edward's words hit me hard this time and I knew exactly what he was trying to say to me. My heart was being ripped slowly into pieces as my mind comprehended exactly what Edward meant by his words. How well I knew that I wasn't good enough for him. But it didn't make any sense. He had always told me that he loved me. My state of insignificance had never been a problem before. It had never bothered him that I was only a human in the past. Something must have happened to cause him to change his mind so suddenly.

"Edward…did I do something wrong…something to offend you or your family? Because if I did I'm sorry. I can change if I have to Edward. Just tell me what I did and I'll make up for it. Edward, what did I do!"

With each word I spoke I became more and more convinced that I was the one at fault here. He shook his head at me and simply said,

"You didn't do anything wrong Bella. You're just too human, too fragile to be around my family all the time. Besides you humans are all the same. If you've seen one you've seen them all. You're so fickle and you'll do anything for money or sex. Our world is not meant to be shared with your kind and you've become too involved in our business already.

"Then change me Edward! Change me and take me with you!" I was starting to unravel emotionally and even I could hear the desperation and hysteria in my voice.

"Bella I don't want you to come with me."

"You…don't…want…me?"

Edward slowly shook his head back and forth, and tears began to well up in my eyes. I tried everything I could think of to keep me from crying in front of him, but nothing seemed to work and the tears spilled over and made trails down my face.

The only thing that I could do now was either beg him to stay with me or take me with him or to just let him leave. And I simply wasn't capable of letting him go.

"Edward please. I'll do anything, I love you."

Edward smiled at me sadly and shook his head a second time. Defeat and despair welled up inside of me and I dropped down on to my knees when my legs wouldn't support me anymore and began sobbing into my hands.

"Don't worry Bella. Your mind is a sieve and memories fade easily over time for your kind. You'll be all right. Bella I need you to make me a promise before I go."

I looked up at him desperately wanting to please him, to make him reconsider. I looked into his eyes and saw some emotion that disappeared before I could distinguish it.

"Bella I need you to promise me that you won't go and do anything reckless once I'm gone. You have to think about your family now." My family…my family was abandoning me without a second thought. I nodded numbly wanting to keep him with me for as long as possible. Edward smiled at me again but it didn't even come close to reaching his eyes.

"Goodbye Bella."

And with that Edward Cullen was gone from my life. I got up desperately trying to follow him into the woods. I needed to be with him and yet he didn't seem to need me at all. I don't know how long I walked or where I was going but all I knew was that I had to find Edward and fix things. Edward's words kept echoing in my head like some cruel person had pressed the repeat button in my mind.

Deep in my heart I knew that Edward was right though. I wasn't good enough for him and I never had been or would be good enough for him as long as I was human and had a heart that was beating. I walked with these thoughts assaulting me for hours before I tripped and didn't get up. Edward didn't love me and that was all that mattered anymore. I lay there and cried silently for what seemed like an eternity until I heard people calling my name. I didn't answer and it was a long time before it even occurred to me that I should have. As far as I was concerned though nothing mattered anymore. There was a rustling in the bushes near my feet and it sounded like a large animal that was sniffing around for some dinner. I wasn't concerned. The animal went away after just a couple of minutes. Apparently I wasn't good enough for the animal either. After the animal went away a very tall man stepped out from behind the bushes and foliage. He leaned down and said,

"Bella. I'm Sam Uley. Have you been hurt?"

I didn't answer him so he just shrugged and picked me up. I could tell that he was running, but only just. It began to get brighter so I closed my eyes and listened as Sam called out to someone.

"Here, over here, I found her." Then I blacked out.

I woke up after what seemed to be a couple of hours in my own bed. Everything hurt, including my heart. Sleep hadn't lessened the pain that I was feeling, it only prolonged it. I felt all the pain from before and them some as I thought about everything that I had lost and began to cry some more. My family had left without me, without even giving me a chance to say goodbye. Families were supposed to always be there for one another and mine had packed up and left without any warning. My chest hurt with every breath I took making it almost impossible to breathe. It only took me a moment to decide that I couldn't think about them anymore. It just hurt too much.

My mind started to drift and I suddenly remembered my birthday presents! I still had my birthday presents from them! I raced to my closet and pulled out my photo album. Suddenly the things that I had wanted so badly to forget were some of the most important things in my life. They were mementos of the happiest time of my life. Mementos that represented the time that I had spent with Him. I flipped open the cover of the photo album and saw to my utter disappointment that all of the pictures were gone leaving only dates in permanent marker as any indication that they had been there at all. I ran to my CD player and found it vacant of the CD that had occupied it just this morning. Everything was gone. The useless photo album that had seemed priceless a moment before fell to the floor as I realized one thing. He was officially out of my life …and I simply couldn't take it. I began to cry some more and I was only vaguely aware of my body hitting the floor as my world spiraled out of control.