DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN ANY ASPECT OF TWILIGHT, INCLUDING PLOT, STORY, CHARACTORS, IDEAS ETC....
Chapter 1 - Why did he go?
'Take care of yourself,' Edward breathed against my skin as he leant to kiss my cheek good-bye.
I stared unseeingly into his cold topaz eyes for a moment as he looked – for the last time at me- and then, he was gone.
'Stay safe,' the whisper echoed back to me, through the trees.
I could hear the blood pounding in my head.
Why is this happening? What is happening? Where am I?
Disorientated questions ricocheted around my head, leaving no imprint of an answer in there place, only a bewildering numbness.
My feet stumbled forward, lurching over the roots and leaves, until one of them caught and I was face down in the damp soil, my situation didn't register in my numb state.
Love. Life. Over.
Three words repeating, over and over.
My mind clinging onto the echo of his last words, trying to translate what was happening.
I felt a searing pain split across my chest, a slash of a knife. I lay there shuddering under the agony.
'Heart-break,' I moaned, and curled up in foetal position, tears spreading thickly across my face.
A scream burst from my lips, unbidden, turning into a wail as my anger turned to grief, and as time passed, all I could do was sob…
Who knows how long I lay there, curled up in the moss and dirt, my mouth moving, asking questions that no-one except he could answer…Eventually, my mouth was so dry, I was mouthing the words, eyes searching the skyline for answers, desperately hoping to see his figure, any minute now… now… NOW!
'Never…' a cynical voice murmured in my mind.
I shut my eyes tightly, desperately hoping it was a night-mare. I hadn't woken up yet, any minute my alarm would go off and everything would be fine- I opened my eyes.
A sob escaped my throat. It hadn't worked. The last straw that I had clutched at, had snapped.
I pulled myself into a crawling position and dragged my frozen limbs to the trunk of the nearest tree, before slumping clumsily against it, the world spinning cruelly.
The sun had truly set now, a heavy blackness set in. Was it normally so dark here? Surely there is some starlight in general? At home there seems to be loads of stars in the sky? Home…
I could see a faint light sprinting across the skyline, reflecting off the pale, sallow trunks. A car?
My body decided to follow the light. I couldn't see the point, what was the point of anything anymore? What was the point of not going or going? Why did he leave? I thought he loved me, like I love him? Surely he would come back for me?
My body had no more moisture left for tears, I felt dizzy, and I absent-mindedly wondered how long I'd been outside? An hour? Two? More?
My feet hit tarmac, and soon the rest of me followed as I tripped over the curb and face-planted in the dirt.
'Ouch,' I muttered, my face stung. My nose had taken a knock and felt like it might be broken, I touched it gingerly, a crimson liquid stained my fingers. Blood? The pain, forced some of the remaining moisture in my body to seep out of my eyes.
Great.
I realised I had sprawled into the road and thought it might be smarter to roll to the side, I sat up stiffly and looked in the darkness for somewhere to collapse . A patch of grass?
I struggled to that patch of grass, all mossy and damp. My head hit the ground. I didn't care. Why should I? That pain was nothing …
Minutes passed.
Time, didn't register on me, too lost in my own thoughts, to comprehend the reality.
A cloud of midges, engulfed me. Did I care? Edward had gone, nothing mattered any more…
My nose hurts.
That random thought had just occurred to me as a set of headlights spun into view, an engine roared as the vehicle zoomed past me; then I heard the squeal of tyres as the brakes set in, and heard the car reverse closer towards me.
A car door slammed.
'Is that you Bella?' A frantic voice asked as they jogged closer.
I lifted my head, Jacob? What was he doing here?
He had now reached me , he dropped to his knees, and took my freezing hands in his , the temperature difference was painful, I tried to pull away, but he held my hands firmly.
'Bella, everyone's really worried, Charlie's sent search party's out for you,' his eyes raked my face, ' I need to get you to a hospital, I think your nose is broken, did he hit you?' Anger sprung to his eyes, at the thought.
'He's gone, Jake, why did he go?' my voice slurred
'Did he hurt you Bells!?' he asked urgently, his hands clasping mine, so warmly.
'He's gone,' I murmured, as my head fell forward on my neck, there was silence for a long moment.
Suddenly strong arms, were pulling me to my feet, and steering me towards the car, as I stumbled forward, the arms held me steady, not allowing my useless balance to drag me to the ground.
He opened the door for me, and lowered me down, only releasing his firm hold of my arms to quickly draw the seat-belt across me. I heard him mutter a few words down the phone.
'I've got her, found her lying on the side of the road near the woods… Yeah I know…. I'm taking her to the hospital… No! … At least I don't think so, I think she broke her nose falling over at some point… Yeah I will, see you soon,'
Dazed, I barely heard the engine rumble to life, and watched the trees flit past our headlights.
There was silence for a few minutes.
'Bella?' Jacob's voice was cautious.
I shut my eyes blocking him out, it wasn't his voice I wanted to hear.
I wanted the silk, the harmonic chimes of another, the glory - that rang with-in every syllable, to soothe the bubbling questions I was struggling to answer. Where was he?