Bella and Alice were sitting in the living room together in silence. After an hour, Bella finally turned to her.
"Alice?"
"Yes?"
"What happened to me? Where's Edward? And Charlie?" Alice's eyes widened.
"You aren't ready to see Charlie yet Bella."
"I need to see him! I said horrible things to him before I left."
"Bella, you are a newborn vampire. I see how strong your thirst is. If you see Charlie you'll kill him."
"No I won't," Alice laid her hand on Bella's arm.
"Please believe me Bella. I can go talk to Charlie for you and tell him you're okay." Alice stopped and looked out the window with her eyes glazed over.
"Alice, what is it?"
"Edward, he's coming back."
"So now I'll be able to talk to him."
"He's angry right now Bella."
"I'll take care of that Alice." Jasper responded with a smile.
"Fine," Alice stated irritatedly and walked through the house when Edward flew through the window and landed in the living room. Bella turned to see him.
"Edward-"
"Bella please, there is nothing good about this."
"It's what I've always wanted. Now you don't have to worry about doing it. I know you've been worried about it." Edward looked over at Jasper and snarled.
"Jasper, get out of here."
"Sorry Bella," Jasper walked out of the room.
"This is not a good thing. I wasn't fast enough for James' venom. Look at what it's caused," Edward turned away from her. Bella lept over the couch and grabbed his arm nearly throwing him across the room.
"Edward, listen to me. I love you, now I can be with you for the rest of my existence."
"Not this way. I feel responsible for all of this. You wouldn't have been anywhere near him if it hadn't been for me."
"Victoria, James and Laurent were in Washington. They could have come here and found me anyway. You know how things are around me."
"Bella," Edward warned, "you wouldn't have gotten hurt and he couldn't-" he sighed, "I can't even say it."
"I've been changed Edward. Say it, just changed. I can be with you forever."
"You don't understand what you are saying Bella! This means you have to give up your life as a human! I have to tell Charlie you died because of me! We are going to have to leave Forks forever. You won't be able to spend time with Charlie and your mom; you'll lose your friends. I didn't want it to happen this way. I didn't want it to happen at all, but especially not like this."
"I don't want any of them if I can't have you." He looked at her.
"You don't understand. I didn't want it to be this way. I didn't want you to give up your life just to be with me."
"I'm seventeen, you're seventeen; what's the problem?"
"That's the problem Bella! You haven't had time to live your life. You have had your future ripped away from you."
"YOU are my future. Now why do we have to argue about this?" Edward jumped out the window again and Bella followed him. "You can't get away from me anymore Edward. You have to talk to me."
"Go home Bella! Stay away from me." He rushed off and before she could jump after him, Alice, Rosalie and Esme were outside with her.
"Why don't you give him some time Bella?" Esme said in her gentle tone. "He'll be back; but he has to come to terms with what's going on."
"Take a walk with me," Alice asked, but Rosalie shook her head.
"Can I talk with Bella?" She turned to her, "will you come with me?" Bella nodded.
"Yeah." They started to walk away from Alice and Esme. "I know you've hated me for a long time." Rosalie laughed.
"I don't hate you Bella," she paused, "we talked about that earlier. I envy you and find that you'd want our life so frustrating. But now that you don't have a choice, I empathize with you. This is not something I'd choose for myself or anybody else, and even with as much as I dislike you- this isn't something I'd want to force on you either." Bella nodded.
"Thanks, I guess."
"Things are going to be different with you around here. The not wanting to kill you part, I mean. That almost made having you around tolerable."
"Maybe things can change for us." Rosalie laughed.
"I don't think so."
