Prologue.

"Two weeks, Edward! TWO WEEKS! With no warning what-so-ever, you just… disappeared!" I screamed into the receiver, tears streaming down my cheeks and rolling over my chin, splattering against my chest.

"I know. I'm sorry." Was his monotone reply. It held no sense of remorse or conviction. It lacked everything I knew of my Edward.

"Where are you?!" I demanded. It was hard to be angry when I was so relieved to know he wasn't dead or hadn't just disappeared like had seemed to be the case.

"I can't tell you that." He said, all dry and robotic.

"You're not serious. Edward. Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!"

"I'm sorry, Bella. I am."

"You're sorry? Sorry? That's it? After all of this, that's all I get?" I ground my teeth together waiting to hear more.

Silence.

"Edward… Please. When are you coming home?" I closed my eyes, my knees bouncing rapidly against the underside of the kitchen table.

Nothing.

"Edward?" had he hung up? Had he not heard me ask?

"I'm not coming back. I called to tell you good bye."

The phone shook in my hands and I had to grip it with both just to keep it from falling through my fingers. My heart, rather than hammering against my ribs as it had been since I'd answered his phone call, seemed to stop dead in my chest.

This couldn't be happening.

"You don't mean that." It came out barely a whisper.

I heard him clear his throat on the other end.

"I do mean it. I'm sorry, Bella. But I just can't do this anymore."

"No. No, Edward. Whatever it is I've done wrong, whatever you're thinking or feeling or going through, we can make it through this! We can. We always make it through. You were the one person who stood by my side when Charlie-"

"I know. You needed me then, and I was there for you. We've been through a lot together but… things are just different now. And I need to let you go."

My world seemed to be spinning out of control. My breaths came in sharp gasps, a dizziness sweeping over my consciousness making me panic more. Afraid that I would collapse and he'd hang up and I would never have the chance to speak to him again, I forced myself to breathe deep and regain some semblance of composure.

"Please." I begged. "Please don't. Please just…I'll do whatever you want or need me to do, just please don't-"

"Isabella." His voice finally sounded something other than resigned and distant. "You can't blame yourself for this. It's just how it has to be."

"This doesn't make any sense. If your family is making you do this because Carlisle got orders or something, I understand how hard long distance can be. I really do. But I… I love you Edward. I love you and I NEED you. I needed you when Charlie was slipping away from me and I need you now. I will always need you. I really can handle whatever this is that's making you say these things. I promise. If it's distance, I'll make it work-"

"I don't WANT to make it work, Bella!" He shouted. "I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't be with you anymore. You'll be much better off, and one day you'll thank me. You will. I promise." His voice began to shake, taking on a tone of desperation that made my stomach want to expel the little bit of food it contained.

"You don't want me…anymore…" the words tasted bitter on my tongue and my face crumpled at their hideous sound. I buried my head in the crook of my arm, the phone pressed painfully into my ear as though I could crawl through the receiver and into Edwards arms and make him see just how perfect we were for each other. How much we loved each other.

But I couldn't. And it would kill me.

"No." he said flatly. "I'm sorry, Bella. I have to go. You'll be okay. Promise me, you'll take care of yourself. For Renee… and for Charlie."

It was like a knife to the chest. How dare he use my dead father as an excuse to be okay with my life being shattered right before my eyes.

He didn't want me.

He didn't want to make it work.

He, too, was leaving me. Just like Charlie.

Only, this time it wasn't cancer stealing Edward from me…

And as horrible and selfish as it sounds, this was almost worse.

"Promise me." He said, firmer this time.

And as the sobs wracked my tired, aching body, I did the only thing I could do.

I whispered "okay," and broke down as the line went dead in my hands.

xxx

Thanks for reading! There will be more explain in the following chapters, I swear. Just, hold on and bear with me. 3 3 3 Til next time! xo