BPOV

After Edward proposed on New Year's Eve, Alice has been in wedding mode. She'd drop off wedding invitation samples, dress catalogs at my desk and cake ideas would arrive almost daily in my email. Edward and I decided that a spring wedding would work for us, so we chose March 23rd as our date. Alice of course thought we should have a Valentine wedding, since holidays seemed important to us. But we'd rather not go that route.

I had many battles with Alice over choosing my dress, it would seem that my ideal dress and hers were two different ideas altogether. I wanted simple but elegant and she thought I should have the fairytale princess look.

Was the dress really that important? I'm sure that Edward wouldn't care what I wore, as long as we get married. I don't see why Alice is always on me about picking out a dress. I swear she's driving me crazy and I'm afraid I'm going to snap. Even Edward is noticing how tense I am whenever we talk about anything wedding related.

I stayed home from work to go over things for the wedding on my own and I was having a cup of tea as I opened my mail. I had a stack of RSVP cards for the wedding and I opened one and read that it was from my aunt, Mary Catherine, in Georgia. She said she couldn't attend but she wishes me well and sent a check for me and Edward, and she requested that we send her a picture from the wedding and to visit sometime soon.

I wish she could be at the wedding but I understand. It's just I don't have a lot of family and it would've been nice to see her. I continued opening cards and marking them down on the sheet of paper in the binder Alice provided for this purpose. I sighed as I closed it and leaned my head back on the couch as my phone chimed with an incoming message.

"Meet for lunch or I could come there?" E.

I sent him a message, saying that I'd meet him.

So I got up and walked into my bedroom to get dressed and put on a bit of makeup. I wasn't really feeling the greatest but I wanted to see Edward and I know he misses me when I'm not at the office.

I grabbed my jacket and then headed to my car, it would be easier to drive to the little deli by the office and then run a few errands after.

Once in my car I turned on the radio and listened to the Phantom of the Opera CD that Edward gave me. It usually calmed me, but today it wasn't helping.

I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car, I got out and quickly walked into the deli. I easily found Edward sitting in a back booth with our food. He always knew what I liked and he smiled when he saw me approach him.

"Hi love, how is your day going?" he asked as he stood up to kiss my cheek.

"Good, yours?"

"Okay, it's weird at the office when you're not there. I miss seeing you when I come out of my office and Alice is just in and out of my office with stuff about the wedding and she said she's sent you five emails that you haven't responded to."

"I have been opening the RSVP cards and logging them into her stupid binder," I said as I took a bite of my sandwich, ignoring the look of hurt on his face.

"It's not a stupid binder, love. It is a planning tool that Alice swears by."

I knew I hit a nerve with him but I didn't really care at the moment.

"Sorry," I said.

He nodded as he picked up his sandwich.

I looked at him and just shook my head, he didn't even say anything. "That's it, you're not going to say it's alright."

"I nodded, what more do you want."

"Um.. maybe to have a conversation with you about something other than our wedding."

"We have so much to do before the wedding and limited time. Besides I thought you'd be excited about planning our wedding."

"I wanted a small, simple wedding but no, you had to go and invite all of your family and business contacts. It was supposed to be small."

"What's gotten into you, love?" he asked reached for my hand.

"Nothing," I replied raising my voice. "Everything, I don't know."

I could feel the walls closing in on me and it felt like I couldn't breathe. Everything I have ever wanted in a man was sitting in front of me and all I wanted to do was get away from him.

I stood up and grabbed my jacket and bolted for the door.

"Bella," I heard him calling after me. But I kept walking. I got to my car and hopped in, I pulled away just as he reached the parking lot. I could see him standing there as I looked in the rearview mirror.

I drove home as fast as I legally could, I know that it won't take Edward long to hail a cab and get here.

I pulled into the driveway and got out. I quickly made my way into the house and I threw my coat on the chair and sat on the couch. I looked at the pile of cards on the table and my aunt's card was laying there. I picked it up and grabbed my laptop. I logged in and went to Delta Airlines and I booked a one way ticket to Atlanta.

After I was done, I went upstairs and threw some stuff into a suitcase. I heard a knock at the door and I knew it was Edward.

I came downstairs, placing my suitcase by the couch and then I opened the door.

"Love, where are you going? You can't leave, we still have so much to do for the wedding," he said.

I looked up at him and thought of how I could say what I need to say without bursting into tears.

"Edward," I said as I twisted the ring around my finger. "I...I can't be what you need." My heart broke as I slid the ring off my finger and looked down at it before I placed it in his hand. I reached down to grab my suitcase and jacket. I turned back to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye."

I quickly closed the door and walked to my car and drove away before he could come after me.

As I drove to the airport the tears slid slowly down my cheeks. The look on Edward's face as I told him goodbye will forever haunt me. He looked as devastated as I feel. I heard my phone ringing in my purse but I ignored it, I knew it'd most likely be Edward. It didn't take me long to get to airport and I found the long term parking lot and paid the fee, finding a parking spot and then getting out. I grabbed my suitcase and locked my car up. I walked to the elevator and took it up to the terminal, where I would check in for my flight.

Once I checked my bag and went through security, I made my way to my gate to wait for my flight. I looked down at my phone and noticed all of the missed calls and texts on there, but I couldn't deal with those now. I turned it off and placed it in my purse.

My heart hurt just thinking of the messages he's left, and knowing how badly I hurt him. But what he doesn't understand is that I was drowning in the sea of wedding plans and there was no one there to save me. So I did the only thing I could do, save myself and run away from the love of my life. Maybe in time he'll forgive me but that remains to be seen.

They called my flight for boarding and I quickly walked in line behind other travellers. It was a hard thing to do, but it was needed for me. I hoped my aunt would have some wise words for me. She was always so compassionate and willing to help with anything. She was so opposite of Alice, and I hoped I made the right decision in going to her.

I passed the time on the plane by reading or at least trying to. But my thoughts kept distracting me. Thoughts of Edward and how I left him standing there. I hope someday he'll be able to forgive me and maybe we can be friends.

The captain came over the intercom and told us that we were ready to make our descent into Atlanta International and that we needed to buckle our seatbelts at this time.

I put my book away and put on my seatbelt as the plane made its descent. I hated this part as well as take off. I always made sure to take direct flights, if I had my choice.

Once the plane was safely on the ground I stood up and made my way off the plane and followed the crowd to baggage claim. It didn't take me long to find my bag and then I walked to the car rental company and rented a car that I could drive to my aunt's place.

I turned my phone on and there were several text messages from Edward as well as Alice and countless voice messages. I laid the phone down and started the car, heading towards my aunt's.

It didn't take me long and I pulled up in the driveway, I opened the door and got out. I grabbed my purse, my phone and my bag before I shut the door and walked up the sidewalk and up the steps to the front door. I hesitated before I knocked and waited for my aunt to open the door.

The door opened and my aunt stood there, she smiled when she saw me.

"MeMe," I said as I fell into her arms with tears streaming down my cheeks. Her arms wrapped around me as she held me against her.

"Shush child," she cooed. "Come inside and tell your MeMe all about what has you so upset."

My aunt lead me inside to the couch, where she had me sit down and then she went off to make tea, leaving me to gather myself together and be ready to talk to her once she comes back.

It didn't take her long to come back and she sat a tray down on the coffee table, with tea and a plate of cookies. She made my tea for me and handed it to me. I took a small sip as she place several cookies on a plate and gave it to me.

"Jingle, tell me what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what happened to make you leave that fiance' of yours."

"Nothing happened persay, it's just me. Everything was closing in on me, all the wedding details and Alice pushing me to find the perfect dress. Edward talking about the wedding and we argued and I told him I couldn't be what he needed. I gave him his ring back and walked out the door," I confessed as tears slipped down my cheeks.

"Oh sweetheart, it's all fixable. Let me tell you about a woman who lived down the road."

I nodded and picked up a cookie as she started to tell me her story.

"Iris lived down the road and she never married. She spent her entire life all alone and when she died several years ago, the Salvation Army came to take her stuff away. They found a yellowed wedding dress in a box along with an engagement ring and a picture of a young man. Under the dress was a letter that she never sent. The letter told him why she left and she hoped he would find someone that would be perfect for him. Also in the box they found a death announcement and in it was a statement that he never married either, because he could never marry someone other than the woman who held his heart in her hands. This woman and the man both lived lonely lives and died alone, when they could've been together. Jingle, the moral of this story is don't let the love you have for your Edward go. I know you think everything is ruined but it's not. You have time, think about it," she said as I stretched and sat my tea down.

"I'm going to sit on the porch for a bit."

She nodded as I headed for the door.

"Bella dear, love has a funny thing of passing all boundaries. Never turn your back on it because true love only comes around once."