AN: This chapter is very Jacob/Bella heavy and also features a slightly immature Edward. This is all intentional. So far (to the point I've currently write) this is a very emotional fic that deals heavily with dependence and how one event can change who you fundamentally are as a person. I hope you enjoy and appreciate any ideas and reviews. This is my first story, be kind!

Chapter 1

Bella Swan dreamt of silent death, of seat belts that wouldn't undo and planes submerged in black, unforgiving ocean. A pale hand clutched hers, in desperation or true affection she did not know. All she knew was that breath escaped her no matter how hard she tried to inhale. Vivid splotches of violet and turquoise clouded her vision, this must be death she thought distantly..

"Shhh, honey, you're having a nightmare." Her boyfriend Jacob Black crooned, his soft voice bringing her back to life.

She sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. "The plane crashed."

His arm wrapped around her. "Maybe you shouldn't go." The words stay here with me hung between them, unspoken. At the time she had accepted it, tutoring some rich kid in an island paradise for a small fortune had seemed like a dream come true. But the closer the day came, the longer two months away from home, no, she corrected herself, away from Jake, seemed.

They had been friends for most of their lives. It was only in the past five months they had begun dating. It had surprised them both how easy, how right, it felt to be something more. She was twenty five and he was twenty four- they were both ready for something to feel right, permanent even,

She stroked his dark, silky hair. She was crazy about Jake's hair. "If I had my way, I would never leave this bed, but I made a promise."

Jake grinned impishly as he rolled on top of her. "Your plane doesn't leave for five hours."

Edward Cullen was exhausted. He was intellectually aware that only an idiot would stay up all night binge drinking when he was still recovering from mono. But he was seventeen and intelligence had played little part in his decision making last night.

"You look a little less green now." His best friend Emmett McCarthy observed cheerfully. as he parked his rusty, old Chevy in the airport drop-off lane.

Edward groaned. "Hopefully, my trans-pacific flight is enough recovery time. If Esme makes me spend another day in bed, especially when I could be taking in some waves or snorkeling, I'm going to kill myself."

"I feel so bad for you, Eddie, going on this elaborate vacation in another part of the world." Emmett rolled his eyes. "Like, when you're making time with hot island babes or laying out in the sand, you'll be sitting there thinking 'I wish I was working at Subway this summer like McCarthy'."

Edward made a crude gesture, but he grinned loosely. "But you won't just be making footlongs, you'll be making time with that hot blonde from last night." He sighed dramatically. "While, in between family dinners and outings, I'll be fitting in those months of school work I missed with the assistance of some slave driver tutor."

"You said she was hot!" Emmett accused.

"Slave drivers can't be hot? I've seen your porn drive man and know you don't believe that." Before Emmett could form some crude response to Edward's jab, a horn thumped behind them signaling an end to the prolonged presence in the lane of traffic. "See you in the fall, buddy." He said ruefully.

"Hell yeah, man, senior year!" And with a brief fist bump he was off, maneuvering a summer-sized suitcase through embracing couples and oversized families. Time for a boring ass, but most of all excessively long, flight with only his new tutor for company. His parents were already on location to decorate their newest vacation home and his siblings, Alice and Jasper, would not be leaving until tomorrow due to a last minute change of plans.

He just hoped she wouldn't try to small talk him into oblivion and would respect the sacredness of his iPod head phones.

Bella sighed into Jake's mouth. Her suggestion that they make a summer of memories had been met with ardent adoration since the early hours of the morning and he showed no signs of ceasing. "I just saw my student check-in."

"Yeah," He murmured, trailing his hands up her back. "Isn't that something?"

"I should probably go sit with him." She said weakly. "And touching you before we're going into an airport bathroom and making like congress."

He nodded, moving his hand from her lower back to his coat pocket. "Ok, but before you go, I want you to have this." He gave her the square, velvet box easily, confident in its reception. "I was going to wait until August." He shrugged broad shoulders.

"Why didn't you?" She asked curiously, revealing a delicate diamond ring from the box. She recognized the ring instantly as his deceased mother's and slid it on her finger. It fit.

"Because it's yours," He said simply.

"It's mine." She agreed. "And so are you. So, I'll call you when we get to the island and we'll get a skype schedule worked out."

"Alright, I love you, don't die." He grinned and she smiled back, he had been telling her that since she was nine years old.

"I promise." And then he was gone and she felt slightly torn without him. She touched the ring at her finger lightly, as she walked towards Edward Cullen.

He was a good looking boy, with short, cropped reddish brown hair and a slight air of privilege. His recent illness had left him on the thin side and she suspected in a year's time he'd be heavier and taller, in the way boys became around that age. "Hey Edward, are you ready for our flight?"

He was immersed in his text and her greeting startled him. "I guess," He shrugged. "I hate flying but at least it's the red eye."

She nodded. "Maybe we'll sleep through it."

"Yeah," He agreed, his eyes returning to his texts. Bella suspected that she should use this time to connect with Edward, ask about his friends or extracurricular activities, but they were about to be on an 10 hour flight and she decided that the least she could do is spare them both incessant small talk.

They spent the next twenty minutes in mostly silence before boarding the flight, each taking advantage of the cell connection. They would have the entire summer to get to know each other Bella reminded herself when she felt a pang of guilt at her negligence.