DISCLAIMER: Not mine. God do I wish though.
SUMMARY: Bella didn't try to follow Edward into the woods when he dumped her. What happens next?
A/N: I know that some of you wanted the sequel to Flightless first. But this one wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Please forgive me. I need your help, my loyal readers. I'm not sure about which pairings to use in this one. Maybe you guys could tell me what you think.
"Bella, I don't want you to come with me."
"You … don't … want me?"
"No."
"Well, that changes things."
She didn't hear anything else he said. She was too busy planning her getaway. She knew that she couldn't stay here. Not when everywhere she went was another reminder of how little she had meant to him. She had always known this day would come. Ever since they'd started seeing one another. She knew she wasn't good enough for him. She couldn't be. He was perfection and she wasn't.
Then, he extracted her promise not to do anything reckless or stupid, claiming it was for Charlie's sake. "And I'll make you a promise in return. I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed."
"Not a promise you can make, Edward," she softly said. "Because I'll never forget you. I'll never forget the way you tore my heart out and burned it to a crisp in front of me." With that she turned around and walked to the house, leaving him watching from the woods.
After a moment, he turned and fled.
****
Bella stormed into the house and ran upstairs. She grabbed the bag she had left unpacked since the day she'd arrived in Forks. She had held the same bag packed in Phoenix. It was her quick escape bag.
Her hands shaking, she opened up her album to the picture of her and Edward together. It was the one she had felt was stiff and formal. At least she still had the pictures to remind her why she should never get too close to anyone.
Because they always walked away.
She sat down at her computer and started typing.
When she finished, she printed off a copy of the letter and turned off the monitor. Tears fell as she sealed the envelope.
****
Pulling up in front of the Cullen's former home, Bella sighed. She knew that she had to do this. It was the only way for her to move on in any way.
She walked up to the door. It was locked. She walked around the house to the back door.
Unlocked. "Thank you, Alice," she whispered with a sad smile. Walking in, she went to the main room and put the envelope on the dark blue dust cover that hid the piano. The white stood out from clear across the room.
She allowed a single tear to fall on it before turning around and leaving the house, locking the last door. "Goodbye. I hope that you all have a great life."
Climbing back into her truck, Bella brushed the hair back from her face before starting it up and driving away. She knew that she had to put some distance between her and Forks before Charlie got home and realized that she was gone.
*****
The minute Charlie walked into the house he knew that something was wrong. It was too quiet. Bella's truck hadn't been in the driveway and no lights were on.
"Bella? Bells, you here?" When no answer came back to him, Charlie started to feel worry creeping up on him. He walked through the house calling Bella's name. By the time he had checked every room in the house, he was using her full name. "Isabella Marie Swan, you had better answer me right now."
He picked up the phone. "Billy, I need some help. Bella's gone.