Miles From Where You Are (But Somehow You're Still Standing Beside Me)
Summary: There is love in holding and there is love in letting go. Sometimes two people need to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together."
Chapter one: I'll Say Goodbye For The Two Of Us
"There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it."
― Kate DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie
(10/15/13)
She's leaving.
It's all he can think as he watches Bella put the last of her things. Most of it was stuff they had accumulated over the years together; the T-shirt he gave her when they went to see Linkin' Park in concert, a blue cactus with weird fuzzy leaves that he'd given her when she was homesick, porcelain statues of various animals that they'd hunted down in thrift stores, books that they read together, the blue dress he brought her for their anniversary last year, that little beauty and the beast figures he'd brought as a joke when they went to Disney world, pictures of them at the movies, in the car, in his garage, in their apartment, road trips, sky diving, cliff diving, surfing, so many moments, and she was trying to take them with her.
A part of him wanted to burn them, because obviously those memories weren't worth anything after eight years, but he couldn't do that. So he helped her pack them neatly into boxes and sealed them shut.
She's really leaving.
"I almost forgot about this…" She mutters brushing her fingers against the dream catcher he'd given her for her birthday nine years ago. "Remember the day you gave this to me?"
He nodded, a soft smile coming to his face as he remembered the happy look on her face when he showed up at her school, "Yeah,"
Bella smiled too, holding it to her chest. "Got me through a lot of bad night…"
"I know," he said, chuckling, "You were always so melodramatic back then. What was up with all that screaming?"
"I'm surprised Charlie didn't stuff a sock in my mouth,"
"I'm sure he thought about it,"
They both laughed, and it felt good, like they were teenagers again.
"Things were so much simpler then," Bella muttered, and Jacob's smile fades.
They're not teenagers anymore though and there's a moving van outside waiting.
"I guess you'd better be going," Jacob said, turning away from her.
Bella's smile faded to.
"Jacob, listen, I…" she paused, "I'm not doing this to hurt you. I just…"
"It's okay, Bells," he cut in, "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"
"It's not," she said. "It's not what I wanted. I wanted . . ." Bella looked at the promise ring on her finger, a promise that he would never leave her, hurt her, or stop loving her.
A promise he kept.
The air got tense, and Bella looked at the ground.
"What do you want me to say?" Bella asked, and she looked tired. "I am not- I tried. I did but it wasn't enough. You were happy, I was happy. I don't know why I…"
Memories ran through his head, things she said; "I need you." "I love you," "Until my heart stops beating". He picks up the box for her and starts carrying it to the door.
"Jacob?" she called quietly, and he turned to look back at her..
"Yeah, Bella?"
"I do love you," She said, and Jacob smiled sadly.
"I love you, too. But sometimes love isn't enough, huh?"
Bella said nothing, and Jacob put the last of her things into the truck.
Jacob watched the van until the taillights faded into black.
Then he goes into thei-his apartment, shuts off the lights in the living room and headed to thei-his room. He couldn't bring himself to do anything else.
He laid down on the bed and buried his face in his pillow; it still smelled like Bella's Jasmine shampoo.
He closed his eyes, and let the world fade away.
Author's note: My First Twilight story! This is an All human AU. It's not about Bella leaving Jacob for Edward. Don't expect him to suddenly pop up in the story (except in flash backs)
Bella is 26 and Jacob is 23
Please Review and Let me know what you think. Please?