Both of them today. They were being extra generous, too.

Enjoy.

Protector – Chapter 4

Echo

July 1, 2011

Bella

Two weeks.

Two weeks away from home. Two weeks away from friends that are her second family. Two weeks away from her rays of sunshine. Two weeks away from the small town house filled with memories.

Two weeks away from it all, and she can't help but want it all back, she thinks as she sips her tea. Her eyes are glued to the Arizona skyline as the sun rises, watching from her perch on her mother's porch. Her heart feels like its miles away from where she sat, and she knew it's because she never brought it with her to Phoenix. She left it with the one person she trusted the most when she hugged him good-bye at the airport. And she was hopelessly waiting to get it back just so she'd feel safe once again.

But she can't. Not yet.

No, she still has a whole month of the Arizona heat ahead of her. A whole month of smiling at the strangers she's come close to, guessing she could classify them as her friends.

But they weren't. They were strangers in her eyes, even if she talked to them at least three times a week while she was here. It wasn't the people she wanted to be around, so they were complete strangers to her.

She took another sip of her tea, closing her eyes with the process to hold her tears at bay. She never wanted her mother to see her like this. She knew Renee would take it personally, and that was the last thing Bella wanted for her mother.

She sighed as she set her mug on the table. Her head lolled back until it connected with the chair she was seated on, and she closed her eyes tightly. The first rays of sunlight warmed her already tanned skin as she breathed in the hot summer air, her body beginning to relax.

Bella did this every morning before her mother awoke, just so she could act like she was happy being here. She wouldn't ever let her façade drop, not until she was back in the state of Washington.

The sound of the sliding glass door brought her out of her reverie. She lifted her head and let out the breath she was holding as the scent of her mother's perfume hit her nose. The chair beside Bella's squeaked as she sat down, placing her own mug on the table.

"Morning, sweetie," Renee said softly with a warm smile. "Sleep well?"

Bella nodded, her fake smile plastered onto her face for the rest of the day until the next morning where she could let it slip and finally let it all out.

"Yeah, you?"

"Perfect," her mother replied, taking a sip of her drink afterwards. Her eyes looked towards the sunrise. "Phil left for training early, so I decided to get up and wish him a good day. And I saw you out here and thought it would be nice to come out here and chat. Catch up, maybe. I feel like I barely see you, and this was the whole point of you coming out here."

Bella hummed in response as she brought her own mug of tea to her lips. She sniffed the warm liquid and was instantly reminded of home.

"Sure, Mom," she conceded with a sigh that was only heard by her ears. "That'd be nice."

Renee smiled at her and patted Bella's knee before starting in on her questions about Seattle. And all Bella thought about the whole time as she spoke on autopilot was of green eyes and the last lingering hug she gave him before she boarded her plane.

That's home…

Edward

Life was good, he thought. He was able to pass his time for the past two weeks at Uncle Pete's joint downtown, helping him stock and sometimes filling in for him as the bartender. He enjoyed doing it, and he even asked for a full-time position until the beginning of September when his internship began. Of course, Uncle P said yes. Edward was his favorite nephew – his only nephew, if he was being honest with himself. But Edward didn't care. He was happy, and was living his life, just like he promised Bella he would on the day she left.

And, yet, he still missed her whenever he was home alone on the nights he had off. He'd stay up late each time, lingering at the closed door of her room. He would always rest his forehead against it as he tried to keep his emotions in check, as he smelt the sweet freesia scent of her perfume he bought her for her eighteenth birthday. His hand would hover over the doorknob, waiting to just throw it open to surprise her with a huge hug.

And each time he would back away after taking in three deep breaths, knowing that she wasn't even in there.

On those nights was when he'd sit on the couch with a beer in hand, flipping through photo albums of their childhood together. Tears would always drop onto the plastic covered pages as he traced the shape of her face with his thumb. The sound of the page crinkling would echo throughout the spacious living room as he turned the pages. By the time he would make it all the way through, he'd stop on the last page and pull the photo out of its safe haven, bringing it closer to his eyes so he could memorize it once more.

His senior prom. AKA, the best night of his life.

He didn't care about the crown he was granted. He didn't care about Jessica wanting to dance with him since she won queen and it was customary. No, all he cared about was the blushing girl in the blue dress that was sitting at the table, waiting for her turn to dance.

He could still her laughter from the night as he twirled her around, could still feel the way her hand cupped his cheek as she smiled and tried to seriously congratulate him without laughing.

He would never forget lying in the back of her pickup truck after they had left, looking up into the night sky with her. How she would point out her favorite star, or how she just took his hand in hers without a single care.

It was perfect. And he would never let the memory of it die.

So, he would place the picture back in its place before closing the album with a sigh. His tears were dried up, replaced with a soft smile. He'd stand and stride the three steps to the bookshelf with empty shoulders, and slide the album back onto the shelf with a sense of relief.

And then he'd mark another X through the date, reminding himself that he was another day closer until he would see her once again with another sigh and an even bigger smile.

"Edwaaaaaaard, it's me. Pick up!"

A laugh bubbled up out of his chest as his phone rang with the special ringtone she made for herself. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered, the final piece of darkness falling away from his heart.

"Bella," he breathed.

"Miss me?" she asked with a giggle.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Tomorrow he would do this process all over again, but he didn't care. He was healing each day just from the sound of her voice.

"Of course," he answered. "I always do."

She giggled again, and with one last look at the calendar, he could finally say that he was ready for the next morning. Just so he could hear her this excited again.

Don't worry, B. You'll be home soon.

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