A/N: i WOULD LIKE TO PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THAT THIS CHAPTER IS THE longest ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO!!!!!!!!!!!
ENJOY
BELLAPOV
Chapter 9
You Belong With Me
Three short raps, just like always. The radio was on from earlier. I walked slowly to door, only too aware of who was on the other side. I let the door swing open, and there stood my personal miracle. I hadn't noticed that it had started raining until I saw Edward. His tousled bronze hair was a little darker, and his shirt clung to his perfectly chiseled chest damply.
"Hello, Bella" He said. His voice, it was like he'd never been gone- eighty years of pain meant nothing anymore. He was back- whether he loved me or not, which he didn't, I didn't care.
"Hello, Edward. Come in"
"Thank-you" I moved out of his way, he stepped through the threshold and it hit me that Edward Cullen was actually in my house, wanting to talk to me. I closed the door softly behind him, and led the way to the living room. We sat on the sofas his family and I had only minutes earlier. He sat opposite me, on the other sofa, on the other side of the room. That stung.
"So, how are you?" He asked. He sounded nervous, which had been rare for him.
"I'm fine, well, I guess on what your definition of fine is"
"That's good, I guess"
"Since when did you ever have to guess anything?"
"Bella, from the day I met you, I had to guess at everything"
I hadn't noticed, but we were leaning in closer to each other. I laughed once without humour and straightened up.
"Yeah right"
"I wouldn't lie to you, Bella," He said, straightening up himself. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I have lied to you, once" He seemed ashamed to admit it, so he should. Although I loved him and missed him like crazy, he'd hurt me. Badly. Really badly.
"You told me loved me more than once, Edward"
"I wasn't lying. I was talking about when I told you I didn't love you. Our last conversation, I never once spoke a truthful word to you, apart from when I said my family and I were moving, that wasn't a lie"
"I figured"
"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"That you're a liar? Yeah, I get that"
"I never stopped loving you, Bella"
"Then why did you leave me?"
"I had to"
"No you didn't. You could've stayed with me. I could've been like you right now, in love and eighteen like I was"
"You have no idea what it's like"
"You never gave me the chance" I whispered
"I apologize"
"Accepted"
"Thank-you"
"How are you?"
"I'm struggling without you, Bella"
"Struggling?"
"I love you, always have, always will. It's been like hell without you"
"Why didn't you come back?"
"I wanted to, so badly, but I was afraid that if saw you, I wouldn't be able to leave"
"Is that why you never came on the day of the accident?"
"Accident?"
Why was he playing dumb to make me say it? Did he like to see me in pain?
"You know, the bus accident"
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're saying"
"I thought you had perfect recall?"
"I do, but I have no recollection of any bus accident"
"Didn't they tell you?"
"Who?"
"Your family, Edward. All six of them got me too the hospital, and left just before I woke. Carlisle and Rosalie found me, and Jasper and Alice tried to help me calm down. Emmett carried me in"
He growled quietly.
"What about Esme?" he asked through gritted teeth
"The doctors told me there were six people, three men, three women. I never saw Esme, or Emmett for that matter, but I know they were there. I guess Alice's gift helped them leave exactly at the right time"
He didn't say anything. He just sat there, motionless and silent. Seconds turned into minutes, and I got worried.
"Edward?"
"I could have seen you again" He whispered, his topaz eyes agonized as they locked onto mine.
"I was twenty-eight; I was already too old for you"
"You still would have been mine"
"I couldn't have. I'm not like I was, Edward"
"You're still beautiful"
"Don't lie to me, Edward. I believe you too easily"
"I'm not lying"
"Edward, look at me! I'm grey and old. You're seventeen and I'm ninety-eight. I think eighty-one years is too big an age gap"
"I would be old as well, if I could age. I'd have been dead before you were even born"
"But you can't. Case closed. You should have changed me when you had the chance"
"I know. I wish I had"
"Can you repeat that? I wanna get it on tape"
He smiled a little.
"I've missed you. I never should have left you"
"You're right, you shouldn't. But I forgive you. Almost"
"You're all alone here, then?"
"Yeah. You get used to it"
"You never married?"
"There was never anybody else"
"I see"
"Do you? You brought my whole world crashing down, I was deemed to be alone when you lied and said you didn't want me"
"What have I done?"
"I love you, Edward. Nothing can change that"
"I want to try something"
"Don't kiss me. It wouldn't be right"
"Do you think I give a damn about right and wrong anymore? Doing the right thing caused me too much pain"
"You and I both"
He growled again.
"I have to go"
That caught me off guard.
"Oh. Goodbye, Edward"
"Goodbye, love"
"Bella" I clarified. I could've sworn I saw pain flash across his features, only for a moment, but I still saw it.
"Goodbye Bella" He got up and his hand cupped my face gently.
"You belong with me" he whispered
"Should, Edward. Should"
He sighed and removed his hand.
"May I come back tomorrow?"
"Of course"
"Until tomorrow"
"Until then"
He walked out the room, and I followed him. He let himself out, and took off running through the trees.
"I love you" I murmured after him.