2

I didn't sleep last night. How could I? It just seemed so stupid to sleep when my husband could possibly be dead. I'm not sure how long I stood at the door. I just remember that at some point, I moved, I went up to our bedroom and sat down on my side of the bed. I couldn't even turn and look at his side, I couldn't. I felt it would be too terrible if I did.

There's a picture of our wedding on the bedside table. I picked it up and looked at him in it. I just kept staring at him. I still hadn't been able to completely wrap my head around what Jacob and Uley had said. There's a possibility, I didn't want to even think about it, but there was a very real and very massive possibility that I'd never see my Edward ever again. I couldn't believe, I didn't want to believe that I'd never see those green eyes looking at me ever again; that I'd never run my fingers through that shock of copper hair ever again; that I'd never hear him call my name ever again; that I won't wake up next to him and see him smile in his sleep ever again.

We'd been married for barely three years. Our 3rd anniversary was two months later. Just two days ago I was ardently hoping that Ed would be here with me on the day, and now…

What do I do? How do I face his family? How do I tell them that Ed could be…

No he's not, I told myself firmly. What's the matter with you, I asked myself, they said that his car 'seems to have been' involved in the accident. Maybe he wasn't even in the car, maybe it was stolen.

Then why isn't he home yet? A voice spoke up in my head.

If he really was gone, then I had to be the one to break the news to everyone. After all Ed was, no, is my husband.

I thought about Alice, the ever cheerful, bubbly girl with the pixie haircut. We'd been best friends for the past 8 years, since the first day of high school. It was through her that I first met her brother, Edward.

I thought of Charlie and Renée Cullen, his parents. Charlie, our loving, bear-like, universal daddy. And Renée, clumsy, cheerful, bird-like Renée They helped Mum cope when Dad walked out on us when I was 15 and my sister Rosalie was barely 17. They helped me and my sister cope when Mum died one and a half years ago.

I even thought of my sister Rosalie, tall and blonde, a spitting image of Dad. She's a softy, Rosalie, she'd barely gotten used to Dad being gone when Mum died, and she hadn't yet gotten used to that. And now this!

How was I supposed to tell them all that Edward could be gone? Forever? How?

I'd just set the picture down on the bedside table and called Jacob. He picked up after the first ring,

"Bella? Its 4 a.m. What is it? Are you alright?"

"Did you call Charlie or Alice or anyone and tell them?" I asked in a flat tone without any preamble.

"No, not yet. I'm not sure how to tell them", he mumbled.

"Don't. I'll tell them. He's my husband, I'll tell them."

"Bella are you sure?" he asked shaken by the composed sound of my voice.

"He's my husband, I'll tell them", I repeated. "How far along have you gotten? Did you get the car out?"

"They just got the van out. They're working on the car now", he said.

"Can't you hurry them up? He could still be alive in there", I almost yelled.

"Bella, it's been almost 8 hours. I don't think…"

"People stay alive for days under tons of rubble, Jacob. So don't tell me you don't think he's still alive." I said fiercely. This time I did yell. I calmed myself again. "Please get them to hurry up and please keep me posted."

"Okay." He said quietly.

"Thanks," and I hung up.

About two hours had passed since I'd yelled at Jacob. I was still sitting on the bed with my back to his side. I'd spoken to Jacob twice in this space of time. The last time we spoke, he called me, and told me that they'd gotten the car out.

"But, there is something", he paused.

"What?" I asked.

He didn't speak immediately.

"Jacob, what is it?' I asked, not knowing what to expect.

"The car is empty."

Did I just hear him correctly? "I'm sorry. What?"

"The car is empty", he repeated.

My mind had gone blank. I didn't know what to think. "I don't understand."

"The car's pretty banged up. The windshield is absolutely shattered. And," he blurted out. Then he paused; I could hear him take a deep breath to steady himself to say the next few lines. "Bella, there's a lot of blood on the driver's seat. All of Ed's stuff, his luggage, coat, phone, everything is still in the back seat but he's not there."

I had nothing to say. My head was buzzing. I didn't know what to make of this.

"Bella, you still there?" Jacob asked anxiously.

"Yeah," I said weakly. "What now?"

"We think that maybe due to the impact of the fall, he may have broken through the windshield and fallen further down the ditch."

"That-that's not possible. Edward always wore his seatbelt. And shouldn't the air-bag have absorbed the impact?" I asked still trying desperately to make sense of it all. I was shaking my head vigorously; as if that would sort things out and have them make sense.

After a long pause, during which Jacob cleared his throat several times, he finally spoke in a deliberately calm voice," the seatbelt was torn in half and the air-bag had burst. Bella, listen to me, we are going to take K-9 units and go down there and search the whole area. But it's quite wooded down there and lots of scavenging animals live there. Even if there was hope earlier, there isn't any now."

"You really don't think he's alive any more?" I asked in a small voice.

"No. I'm so, so sorry Bella. We're gonna do everything we can to find his", Jacob paused a bit before he said, "body."

"Okay. Let me know." And I hung up.

For the second time in one night, I lost everything, every hope, every reason to live, all over again.

A/N: So this is Chapter 2. Thanks to everyone for reading my stuff. You're too kind. I hope you'll keep reading and spreading the love. Sorry that the update is sooooo late. I promise next updates will be sooner. So hope you've enjoyed. R/R.