With a roll of nausea, I realised I'd misunderstood.
"When you say we--," I whispered
"I mean my family and myself" Each word separated and distinct.
I shook my head back and forth mechanically, trying to clear it. He waited without any sign of impatience.
"Okay," I said."I'll come with you."
"You can't, Bella. Where we're going. . . It's not the right place for you."
"Where you are is the right place for me."
"I'm no good for you, Bella."
"Don't be ridiculous." I wanted to sound angry, but it just sounded like I was begging."You're the very best part of my life"
"My world is not for you." He said grimly.
"What happened with Jasper---that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!
"You're right," he agreed. "it was exactly what was to be expected."
"You promised! In phoenix, you promised that you would stay---"
"As long as that was best for you," he interrupted to correct me.
"No! This is about my soul, isn't it?" I shouted, furious, the words exploding out of me—somehow it still sounded like a plea. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you---it's yours already!"
He took a deep breath and stared, unseeingly, at the ground for a ling moment. His mouth twisted the tiniest bit. When he finally looked up, his eyes were different, harder---like the liquid gold had frozen solid.
"Bella, I don't want you to come with me." He spoke the words slowly and precisely, his cold eyes on my face, watching as I adsorbed what he was really saying.
There was a pause as I repeated he words in my head a few times, sifting through them for their real intent.
"You . . . don't . . . want me?" I tried out the words, confused by the way they sounded, placed in that order.
"No."
I stared, uncomprehending, into his eyes. He stared back without apology. His eyes were like topaz---hard and clear and very deep. I felt like I could see into them for miles and miles, yet nowhere in their bottomless depths could I see contradiction to the words he'd spoken.
"Well, that changes things." I was surprised by how calm and reasonable my voice sounded. It must be because I was so numb. I couldn't realize what he was telling me. It still didn't make sense.
(I left out some parts of when he left her)
"Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice.
"Wait!" I choked out the word, reaching for him, willing my deadened legs to carry me forward. I thought he was reaching for me, too. But his cold hands locked around my wrists and pinned them to my sides. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest instant. My eyes closed.
"Take care of yourself," He breathed, cool against my skin. There was a light, unnatural breeze. My eyes flashed open. The leaves on a small vine maple shuddered with the gentle wind of his passage.
He was gone.
