Mascara smeared down her face, tears dropping onto her dress as she knelt in the middle of the street. She held her head in her hands. Her dress clung to the wet pavement the rain had left, but she had no care about it. She didn't care about anything anymore. There was nothing in her left to care about. The only one she ever loved, who had ever loved her, had moved on; left her.
Cars zoomed passed her, honking loudly, telling her to move, some even flipping her the bird. She wanted to move. She did. She wanted to go home and crawl into bed, cry herself to sleep, but her feet wouldn't cooperate. She was frozen with the fear of never having anyone anymore.
A light tap came on her shoulder. "Hey. Are you all right?" a man's voice asked. He sounded around her age. Maybe a little older. Mid twenties.
She didn't turn her head or answer the man, even though she desperately wanted to.
"Ma'm?" he asked once more.
The girl still couldn't answer, condemned with her reality. She would go to bed alone, wake up alone, have to face their friends alone. Forever alone.
"All right," the man sighed. He then did the unexpected, picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the sidewalk; to safety. That's when the girl stirred, frightened by what he might do to her, but he quickly whispered, "Sh, you are all right. I'm not going to hurt you. You're okay now."
She didn't fight after that. What would have been the point? She had nothing to live for any longer any way.
The strange man took her back to his small apartment, lying her on the bed. The girl looked around, slowly taking in her surroundings. She took notice of the black walls that surrounded her, giving the allusion that they went on forever, except the one white wall the bed leaned against. The walls were decorated in black-and-white photographs. Most were big cities lit up at night, their lights ablaze. A few caught her notice though. One of a young boy around the age of six or seven holding an old football in his hands, a big goofy grin split across his face. Another of a giant wolf, maybe ten feet tall, coming out of the forest. There was another that looked familiar to her. She squinted a little, at the black-and-white scene of the ocean, to see a small little house that looked a lot like an old friend's. She shook her head slightly at the thought. She hadn't seen him in years, not missing him once, but now that she thought about that small red home that had held her favorite mechanic and a man that she had considered her second father she realized she missed them desperately. Fresh tears pricked at her eyes, but she pushed them back, not wanting to deal with any more loss.
What was she doing here? She wondered to herself. Was she insane now? Letting a strange man take her back to his place.
She shook her head at herself as she started to sit up. She gripped the ends of her dress, holding onto it for support. She then stood, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders and into her eyes.
"Oh good. You're all right. You really had me worried, Bells," a husky voice said from behind her.
She spun around and saw the little boy she had just been about to cry over. Yet this wasn't exactly the same small boy she remembered. He was now all grown up. He was handsome, with black spiked hair that was wet with the rain, tan skin, the deepest brown eyes, and the same gorgeous white smile he had always dazzled her with.
She stared at him in utter shock until she finally realized he was right in front of her. Jacob. "Jake," Bella whispered.
Tears filled her eyes once again, but this time they were tears of joy. She hadn't seen Jacob in over five years.
She went and practically jumped in his arms. He didn't mind though. He held her tightly, hanging onto her, telling her he missed her as much as she missed him.
"It's been a long time," he said, sadly.
"Too long," she corrected.
"You just disappeared," he told her after minutes of silence.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried into his shoulder.
"Will you tell me what happened? What made you leave?" he asked quietly.
Bella stiffened slightly, but knew he had every reason to be told what had made her leave him without even a goodbye.
"You won't like it," she admitted.
"I want to know."
She sighed and pushed out of his arms, wrapping hers around her torso. "Well, the night you had taken me home, and told me you loved me," she blushed, the memory over taking her.
*Seven Years Ago*
"Bella-"
"Jacob, I really should be getting inside now," she told him, glancing over her shoulder at a staring Charlie.
"I love you," he said, grabbing her hands. "I love you with all my heart."
The words stopped Bella cold. She looked up at him with big eyes. "You love me?"
"I love you so much, Isabella. More than you could possibly imagine."
Bella wasn't sure how she should take this news. Was Jacob serious, or if Bella told him she felt the same way, would the rest of the pack jump out and laugh?
With shaking hands, Bella leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
"I love you too," she replied when they pulled away from each other.
With that she turned and quickly made her way into her home.
Bella bit her lip. "When I had gotten back inside, and Charlie said goodnight, Edward was waiting for me in my room."