Not mine.

Bella

Forks-freaking-Washington, population three thousand and something, looked exactly as it did when I left it six years ago. The paint was still chipped on the "Welcome to Forks!" sign, the gas station on the corner of Maine Street and Elm still boasted about having the cheapest cigarettes, and all of it was too damn familiar.

"Looks different, huh?"

From the front seat, my dad was grinning. I didn't have the heart to argue with him about the fact that it was all the same to me, so I just agreed.

"The Butlers, you know, the owners of the A&P, they just had another grandchild!" Sue beamed from the seat next to Dad's. She kept updating me on all the news I'd missed since being gone, like how Mrs. Wilson, the town librarian, now had a "gentleman friend". And wasn't that just lovely? Because she's been alone for so long, since Old Man Wilson had passed back in the eighties.

I just nodded my head.

When we reached the fourth stoplight, I pointedly refrained from looking to my left. It was stupid of me, I know, because from here you couldn't even see the Cullen's house. But still, I'd traveled down that road more times than I'd ever be able to remember. Even before I was old enough to drive, I'd known the route to that house from my mother's. I'd walked it, ridden my bicycle, and probably would have hitchhiked if I'd had to.

"Esme just finished refurbishing the old mayor's house to its original condition. Seattle Architecture did a big story on it."

Again, I nodded at Sue's comment, but I couldn't open my mouth to say anything in return. The car became quiet; my father looked in the review mirror to check on me, and then drove through the intersection as soon as the light turned green.

For the rest of the drive through town, all three minutes of it, I tried to convince myself that freaking out was absolutely unacceptable. People were not going to be lined up in the street, waiting for me, not even Edward or his family. There would be plenty of time for me to have an emotional meltdown later, when I actually had to deal with seeing everyone, but right now, it was pointless.

Or so I thought.

When my father turned onto his street, my heart tried to crawl up my throat, along with the contents of my stomach.

Two cars were parked out in front of their house. One belonged to Leah, I could tell by the obscene stickers that were plastered all over the back window, and the other could only belong to one person.

"Swear to God, Bella. I didn't tell him we were picking you up today."

I swallowed, compulsively, and tried to breathe around the lump of fear that sat in my throat.

Emmett must have heard us pull into the driveway, because before my dad could even finish getting out of the car, he was racing down the front steps and barreling towards us. His arms were held out and a huge smile was on his face.

I was sat there, shocked.

"Come on now, Bella! Don't make me drag you out of the car to give you a hug! You know I will!"

I did know that, but before I could even finish opening the door, Emmett had hauled me out of the car.

"Sister-friend!" He bellowed. His hug was tight and lifted me off the ground.

"You do realize that our parents were only married for like… five minutes, Emmett," I laughed, hugging him back.

"Eighteen months actually, and I don't give a shit. You will forever be my step-sister and nothing is changing that." He sat me down, leaving his hands resting on my shoulders, and grinned. "Welcome back."

I nodded before slowly stepping backwards out of his grip. "Don't get too excited Emmett. I'm not here to stay."

"Yeah, yeah."

As I reached back into the car to grab my purse and jacket, I missed Rosalie sauntering down the front steps. When I stood back up, she was standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at me with all of the anger I'd been hoping to avoid for at least another twenty-four hours.

"Hi, Rosalie."

She sighed before crossing her arms across her chest. "Does Alice know you're here?"

I shook my head.

"Does he?"

"Let me help you with the luggage, Charlie!" Emmett found the first excuse he could to escape what was about to happen, and I didn't blame him.

My dad gave me a worried look before I waved him away, telling him I'd be inside in a few minutes. He reluctantly walked up the sidewalk, leaving me alone with Rosalie, but stopped before going inside the house.

"I had to break up a fight between the two of you on this lawn once before, don't make me have to do it again."

The front door shut behind him, and two seconds later, Rosalie was asking me all the questions she'd been holding in for the past six years.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how hurt all of us were? You just left, Bella! You left without telling anyone and… How could you do that? Do you know what all you've missed? Birthdays! Weddings! Mine and Alice's!"

A part of me was thankful Edward's name wasn't listed with theirs, but I quickly nipped that in the bud. Instead, I hitched my purse further up on my shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Rosalie, in one day I've been fired, broke up with my boyfriend, found out my mother died, and made the long-drawn out- flight to Seattle. On the list of things I need to be dealing with right now, your anger isn't in the top ten."

Her mouth fell open.

"You have every right to be upset, I'm not saying you don't, but confronting me out here on the sidewalk is a little inappropriate. Now, if you want to come inside, you're more than welcome to, if you can control your anger. If not, then get the hell off my dad's property and go fuck yourself."

I left her standing out on the sidewalk and was given a fist bump from Emmett as soon as I walked through the door.

"She deserved it," I said, defending myself.

He just smiled. "She's deserved it since sixth grade."

xXxXxXx

An hour later, Rosalie was still pouting, but sitting at the kitchen table with the rest of us while Sue made dinner. I was brought up to speed on all things regarding Emmett and Rosalie's life, unless it involved Edward. That subject was dutifully avoided.

Then, from behind me, I heard my name practically being hissed. I turned around to find Leah leaning against the door frame, looking like a gothic-punk-reject. Really, a woman our age should not be dressed like that. Or living at home with her mother and stepfather.

"Look who fucking graced us with her presence!"

Sue slapped her hand down onto the counter. "Leah Michelle Clearwater! I do not tolerate that language in this house!"

She ignored Sue, and lazily strolled into the kitchen. "How long are you here for?"

"I… don't really know. A week at the most probably."

She nodded before yanking the refrigerator open and taking one of my dad's beers. I watched as he opened his mouth to say something to her, but just a quickly, he changed his mind.

After popping the tab, she took a long drink and then pointed at me. "Don't even think that we are sharing a room. It isn't my fault that they turned your old bedroom into a sewing… craft… whatever the hell it is."

"Uh, okay." I said, awkwardly. "I was planning on getting a hotel room."

"Even better."

Leah walked out of the kitchen without saying anything else, and while Emmett tried to clear the psychotic raging energy from the air with one of his amusing antidotes, I wondered what the hell else what could happen today.

I'm an idiot.

The phone started ringing, and after my dad answered it, I knew that it was going to be a call for me, a call that I wouldn't want to take.

"Well, yeah, but she just got here." He gave me a quick look before focusing, intently, on the counter's grout work. "I don't know about that. It can't be someone else? I can't come do it?"

At this point everyone was listening to his conversation.

"Well, alright. I'll… I'll tell her. Yup. Okay. Bye."

I didn't wait for him to hang up the phone before asking, "Who was that?"

"They need you to go by the hospital and sign some things since… well… you're Renee's only family."

I wanted to refuse. I wanted to rewind this whole damn day and just call in sick to work and stay in Phoenix. But, that wasn't an option. And I couldn't act like a child.

"I'll need to borrow someone's car." As I stood up, Emmett, Sue, and my dad all volunteered to take me to the hospital. "Actually, I think… I would really just prefer to go by myself."

This whole ordeal was going to end up being uncomfortable for everyone, but if I was going to have a nervous breakdown, I would prefer for it not to be in front of my family or used-to-be friends.

Sue gave me the keys to her SUV, and I left the house in such a hurry that I forgot to ask who it was that I was supposed to talk to. But the Forks' hospital was tiny, and there was only one Renee Higginbotham-Swan-Anderson-McCarty-Franklin-Dwyer-Miller-Dwyer again (I'd stopped counting after that), and I was pretty sure that entire population knew of her death.

Before I walked through the front doors of Forks' Memorial, I took a few seconds to get myself focused. I rolled my shoulders back, trying to relieve the tension built up in my neck, and popped my knuckles one by one.

I could do this. I had to. Despite all of the promises I'd made to myself, that I would never come back here, part of me always knew I would have to. And if I was going to have to deal with this, deal with seeing everyone, then I would make damn sure that they didn't see me as the same cowering, stupid girl that I'd been my whole life. I'd gotten out of here; I'd made something of myself, and fuck anyone that didn't like it.

I took a deep breath, straightened my hair, and marched into that hospital with my head held high. A full minute hadn't passed before I was recognized by someone and after accepting their sympathy (which I didn't buy, no one in this town liked my mother), I made my way down to the basement. What I saw when I got off the elevator ruined my resolve.

"Bella."

The sight of Carlisle Cullen made my knees weak and my stomach roll. It'd been so long since I'd seen him that I'd forgotten how much Edward looked like his dad. The Cullen eyes, their cheek bones, their hands… I wobbled on my heels for a second, tried to take a step forward, and ended up falling back against the elevator doors.

"Easy, easy." Carlisle came forward to help, holding on to the tops of my arms, and then eventually enveloped me in a hug. "It's okay, Bella."

I nodded against his shoulder, wondering how I'd gone from being a hoity bitch, to a crying mess in a matter of seconds.

"I…" My voice came out sounding like a scratched record. So I swallowed and tried again. "I'm sorry, Carlisle."

Honestly, I had no idea what I was apologizing for. Was it for nearly falling over at the sight of him? Or was it because I'd gotten mascara on his pristine, white, coat?

Carefully, Carlisle held me at arm's length and smiled. "It's alright, Bella."

The way he was looking at me… answered those questions. And I hated it.

Without realizing it, I was apologizing for breaking his son's heart and that made me ridiculously aware of how helpless I probably looked.

"Dad…" Again, my voice sounded wrong. So I tried again while wiping away the tears that were stuck to my cheeks. "Dad said I needed to come sign some paperwork or something?"

He lead me to the counter that he'd been leaning against when I got off the elevator and then slid a stack of paper in front of me. "We released the body to Ellis Funeral Home since it was what she'd requested beforehand."

I nodded and quickly signed my name even though the lawyer in me was freaking out for not reading through any of it.

"There was some time to… prepare for this so, that should make it easier for you. I know that Jasper had just finished redoing her will, so-"

I stopped signing and looked up at him. "Jasper? Whitlock?"

Carlisle nodded before reaching behind the counter and grabbing a small box from the desk. "He's taken over most of your mother's legal work since Jason Jenks retired a few years back."

Not really sure how to feel about the fact that one of my closest friends, well, used to be friends, had been helping my mother with her affairs, I just continued signing my name. Not even stopping when the box Carlisle had grabbed was sat down next to me.

"Are those her personal things?"

He nodded. "Her purse, wallet, keys, cell phone… the clothes she'd had up here."

Once I finished signing, I carefully handed the stack back to him. As he looked them over, I opened the box, ignored the painfully familiar smell of my mother, and dug out the keys, wallet, purse, phone and jewelry. Everything else, I dropped into the trashcan next to us.

"Is that it?" I asked.

Carlisle gave me another sad look before nodding his head, but before I could walk away, his hand carefully grabbed my arm. "I've known you since you were three years old, Bella."

My jaws tighten and I focused on a spot on the wall over his right shoulder.

"I know that what you're feeling right now, what you're dealing with, it can't be easy. But I hope…" He sighed before continuing. "I would really like the chance to sit and talk with you before you leave again. If you… well, if you have time."

I didn't promise him anything; instead I muttered something that sounded like an "okay" before stumbling back to the elevator and punching the button to take me back upstairs.

He watched me, silently, but before the doors could shut all the way, Carlisle said, "Take the back exit, Bella."

I nodded, even though I had no idea what he would tell me that. If I took the back exit, I would have walk all the way around the hospital to get back to the parking lot. It didn't make sense.

Still confused, when the metal doors opened up into the lobby, I shook off his advice and follow the same steps I'd made coming in. People stopped me, again offering their condolences, but I hurriedly thanked them and kept going.

It was like I couldn't get out of that place fast enough. My heels were slipping out of the back of my shoes because I was walking so fast, but when I turned the corner that lead to the main entrance of the hospital, I came to a complete standstill. My purse fell off one shoulder, my mother's off the other, and my breath came out in one sharp gasp.

Standing directly in front of the doors, as if he'd been waiting for me, was Edward.

He didn't move.

Neither did I.

His eyes bore into mine, making a mass of anxiety squirm in my stomach, but still I couldn't do anything but stand there.

I didn't want to look at him. I didn't want to mentally take inventory of his body, of his features, of… him. But I couldn't make myself look away.

Edward took a slow step towards me, but still, I stayed where I was.

It had been six years since I'd seen him, six years of… hating what he'd done. Six years of wanting so much to know why he'd broken his promise, why he'd basically driven me to the point that I had to leave. God, did he even know that most of this was his fault? Six year of moving on, of forgetting, and yet the anger was still this strong?

Another step and then another, and finally, I moved. One step backwards.

"Bella."

Edward's voice, saying my name… it was too much. All of this was too much. I slowly shook my head and took another step backwards.

"Bella, don't."

But he didn't understand and he never would. So I ran until I couldn't run anymore, and once I'd gotten back into Sue's car, I drove as fast as I could, putting as much distance as I could, between me and Edward Cullen.

He had to have known that his decision would push me to the breaking point! He should have known that breaking that promise would ruin us! But he didn't!

I drove through town, remembering it all so clearly. Every detail.

He smelled like summer and freedom that night that he'd held me against his chest and promised me that the nightmare was over. Lying in the back of his truck, the night before we left for college, in our spot so far out into the woods behind their house that no one would ever find us, he'd promised me that once we left Forks that we'd never come back.

"I promise, Bella," he'd whispered into the darkness. "We'll leave tomorrow for Seattle and you'll never have to come back here."

And I'd believed him.

We'd finished school, gotten engaged, had an apartment together… everything was perfect. Until he'd come home with an envelope in his hand. An envelope that held a job offer to head up some community outreach program in Forks.

"I want to do this."

That was all he'd said before putting the envelope on the table in front of me. And that was all it had taken to break my heart.

I'd refused to go back to Forks and live the same life I'd endured for so many years. I didn't want to be around her. I didn't want to see her. I didn't want to be reminded that I was Renee's Higginbotham's daughter!

Shaking my head at the memory, I realized that without meaning to, I'd driven to my mother's house. With fresh tears still falling down my cheeks, I stared at the wrap around porch and the dark stained glass of the house I'd grown up in.

The Higginbotham House, known as the "Jewel of Forks" had been built by my great-great grandfather when he'd moved from Louisiana to Forks in the early Twenties. He'd made millions from the lumber mill and wanted to bring a piece of the good old South to Washington, and to this day, the house was famous for its classically southern architecture.

I fucking hated it, but curiosity got the better of me and before I knew what I was doing, I was opening the front door and staring into the empty house that had always felt like a prison to me.

"You can't hurt me anymore," I said to no one, and took a determined step into the darkness.