Bella's POV

I woke up the next day in my bed at home. Much to my surprise, I looked over and saw Edward next to me. "What are you doing here? I told you not to stay here last night." It wasn't that I didn't want Edward with me. There was nothing in the world I wanted more, but I was afraid that I would phase in the night or something and Edward would get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt Edward.

"You wouldn't hurt me, Love," Edward said confidently.

"Not on purpose, but what if I'd phased without knowing it. I could've hurt you without even realizing it," I told him.

Edward smiled slightly. "It seems we have switched roles. You are as afraid of hurting me as I was of hurting you. But I'm fine. I know the signs of you phasing. I would've moved had it happened. Besides, Jared is right outside your window. He could've intervened if need be."

"He should've told you not to come up here," I grumbled.

I heard a soft growl from outside.

Edward chuckled. "Jared wishes for me to tell you that he tried.

Suddenly I heard my Charlie start to stir in his bedroom. Sam was certainly right about the enhanced hearing. I could hear my father tossing in his bed like he was right in front of me.

"Charlie's waking up," Edward said.

"I know. I hear him. I don't know how to do this," I said. I was going to have to tell Charlie that was moving out of the house and onto the reservation. I didn't know how to tell him that. What could I possibly say to make him understand? He couldn't stop me. Like Edward had said, I was eighteen. I didn't have to stay. But if I didn't come up with some kind of explanation, my dad would think I was leaving because of him. I didn't want that. I'd already made him think that when I'd been forced to flee with the Cullens after the James situation. This time it would be permanently. I couldn't do that again.

"I've actually been thinking about it. I have an idea of what you could say. Tell Charlie what happened last night," Edward said.

I looked at him incredulously. "Is it possible for vampires to go insane?"

Edward laughed slightly. "I don't mean everything. Tell him what happened before you phased. Tell him we broke up."

"What good is that gonna do?" I didn't see where he was going with this. How was telling Charlie that Edward and I broke up gonna help with anything?"

"You can say that you need to get away from Forks and me. Tell him that Sam and Emily are your friends and that they've offered to let you stay with them. That part is true. I read in Sam's mind that he intends for you to stay with him for a while," he said.

"Y…you want me to say that I wanna get away from you." I didn't wanna say that. I couldn't live without Edward. Saying I wanted to get away from him was a blatant lie and I wasn't even sure I could do it.

"Love, it's okay. I know you won't mean it. It's just a way to explain why you're leaving Forks for La Push," Edward said.

I shook my head. "No. Not only do I not wanna say that, it would make you the bad guy. Charlie would come after you. I won't do that."

"Bella, he can't hurt me. You know that. This will make it easier for you and him. He can blame me instead of himself and you don't have to live with the guilt of him thinking you don't want anything to do with him," Edward said.

"I won't make you the bad guy!" I said firmly.

"In a way I am the bad guy. You phased because of me and your phasing is the reason you have to go. Bella, please, I wanna do this for you. I won't be bothered by how Charlie thinks of me. The only thing that will hurt me is knowing you're hurting more than you need to be because of your guilt for letting Charlie think you just didn't wanna live with him anymore," Edward said.

I was conflicted. I didn't wanna do this. I didn't wanna make Edward the bad guy by saying I was leaving because of him, but Edward was telling me that he would be more hurt by my pain and his own misplaced guilt if I allowed my dad to think I was leaving because of him. I didn't want Edward or Charlie to be hurt. I couldn't stop Charlie from being hurt, but I could lessen it. "Okay. But what's happening now is not your fault. You didn't know any of this would happen."

"You should get ready and get it over with," Edward said.

"And you'd better go," I said before getting out of bed. I then turned towards my window. "Jared? Stay close just in case."

"He will," Edward said, obviously having read his mind. He got up and headed for the window, only stopping at the last minute. "I'll come see you later at Sam's."

I nodded and watched him leave.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After taking the longest shower I could to avoid the inevitable, I got dressed and headed downstairs. I found Charlie in the kitchen with his paper and a cup of coffee.

Charlie turned to me as soon as he heard me come into the room. "Good, you're awake. Sit down. We need to talk about last night," he said with a slight edge to his voice. He hadn't been happy that I'd been gone for so long without even calling him. He'd made it clear that we'd be talking about it the next morning.

I went over and sat down across from my father. "You're right, we do."

"You scared the hell out of me last night, Bella. I almost called the station for backup to help look for you," Charlie said.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you. Things just got really complicated last night and I lost track of time."

"I'll say. What the hell were you doing in the woods for four hours?" Charlie demanded to know.

"Uh, I wasn't actually in the woods that long. Edward took me out to the woods to talk, but I wasn't there the whole time," I said.

"Do not tell you were at the Cullen house the whole time. I called them and Carlisle said he hadn't seen you!" Charlie yelled angrily. I wasn't sure if he was mad because he thought I was lying or because he thought Carlisle might have.

"No, I wasn't at the Cullens. I wasn't even with Edward most of the times." There was lie number one.

"So where were you?" Charlie asked.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself to say something I really didn't wanna say. "Edward broke up with me last. He took me into the woods and told me that things weren't working out. He wanted to move on."

Charlie's face softened considerably after I said that. "Aw, Bells, I'm so sorry. But why didn't you come home?"

"I wanted to clear my head, so I started walking. The next thing I knew, I was over by the Newton's restaurant. Alice saw me walking and picked me up," I told him. I had to tell him how I actually got to La Push and I didn't wanna say I'd walked the whole way. "She'd already known what happened and asked what she could do. I didn't wanna come home. I didn't wanna talk to you about this, but I did wanna talk to someone. I didn't feel comfortable talking to Alice about it since Edward is her brother, so I asked her to drive me to La Push. I have a couple of friends there that I wanted to talk to."

Charlie frowned in confusion. "You know people on the reservation besides Billy, Jacob, and Harry?"

"Yeah. I've been a couple of times and I made friends with Sam Uley and Emily Young," I told him.

"I've seen Sam Uley around a couple of times and Billy and Harry speak highly of him. I wasn't aware you knew him though. Why didn't you ever mention him or this Emily?" Charlie asked.

"I guess it just never came up. Anyway, I was talking with them. That's why I was so late. We were just sitting around talking and I lost track of time," I said.

"Well, I guess I can let it slide this time given the situation. Just please don't ever do this again," Charlie said.

"Um, there's actually something else I need to talk to you about. The breakup was really hard and it still hurts a lot. I don't think I can handle running into Edward around town or at school."

"Oh, Bells, it'll get better," Charlie tried to assure me.

"No, Dad, it won't, not if I'm around him. I need to get away from him." I hated saying that. It actually made my chest hurt to say that I didn't want to be around Edward. He was my entire world. Saying I couldn't be around him was tearing me up inside, even if it was just a tactic to help my father deal with me leaving.

"What are you saying? Are you saying you wanna go back to live with your mother?" Charlie asked.

"No. I don't need to go that far. I do wanna leave Forks though. I was talking to Sam and Emily about all this last night and they suggested staying with them for a while and transferring to the school there," I finally told him. Then I waited. I waited for the explosion I knew was to come.

I didn't have to wait long. Charlie was out of his chair within seconds. "Are you out of your mind?! You think I'm going to let move in with a couple of kids I barely know?!"

I did my best to remain completely calm. I worried that Charlie's anger would upset me so much that I would phase. "Sam and Emily are good people. They're friends and they're trying to help me."

"I don't know who they are! You're not moving in with them! If you wanna leave, fine! I don't like it and I'll miss you like crazy, but I'll understand. You can go back to your mother's. This is not happening!" Charlie yelled.

I looked him directly in the eyes and willed myself to do this. "Yes, it is. I'm eighteen. You can't stop me. I'm going to La Push, today."

Charlie huffed angrily. "All of this because of that little SOB! You're gonna let one break up scare you away?!"

I felt myself get angry when Charlie badmouthed Edward. I knew then that I had to end the conversation quickly because if it continued, I would start to shake soon and then I would phase. So I stood up. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I have to do this."

The anger in Charlie's eyes started to disappear and what was left pain and pleading. "Bella, don't do this. Stay and let me help you."

"I can't," I said before bolting out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After packing my things and headed back downstairs. I saw Charlie standing in the doorway of the living room, but I didn't dare look at him in the eyes. I knew if I did, I would see his pain and that would cause me an enormous amount of pain. So after saying a quick goodbye, I walked out of the house.

I walked to my truck and put my bags in the back before going to the driver's side. I paused before getting in and started to cry slightly for the pain I'd just caused my dad. "Damn you, Sam, for making me do this." I didn't know if he was here and close enough to hear me. I hoped he was though. I hoped he'd heard how angry I was at him. And, yes, I knew that he was only trying to help, but right now I didn't care. I just hated him for forcing me into this.

After a few minutes, I got into my car and pulled out of the driveway.