CHAPTER 11 – "He loved you"

Hey Marseilles – Bright Stars Burning

After all these years you are leaving here
Despite what should be otherwise
In our future dear, so long as you're near
I'll follow 'til the sun won't rise

A/N: As always I thank you for the reviews and hope that you enjoy this update too…

"You were compelled" Edward said deadpanned.

I frowned, not understanding the concept, "Compelled?"

"Mind manipulation. Made you forget" he murmured with deep furrowed eyebrows and a troubled scowl. He then, walked away to sit at the cliff and I followed suit. I needed to find out more about what was happening to me and who this person was and why we weren't together.

Edward was muttering incoherent words for a while before taking a deep breath, "I never told you this because-" he paused, "…well, because I didn't think it was necessary" he scowled, glaring at the forest below us.

"What was?" I prodded, needing to know more about my stranger.

My stranger…

He turned to me with a defeated slump of his shoulders before revealing, "There are others of our kind"

"You mean, other vampires" I blinked, bewildered with this new piece of information.

"Yes" he nodded but still didn't meet my searching gaze. Suddenly he shot up and looked at me, "What did this vampire do to you?" he snarled in demand, "Did he hurt you?" he ordered.

"N-n-no, no Edward" I shook my head frantically, "He didn't hurt me" the thought could not even be deemed as being plausible. I wanted to make him understand so I reached up to my necklace, "He gave me this" a small smile lit my features with the feel of the cold silver in my palm but under Edward's heavy stare, the necklace seemed to be an anchor, weighing me down.

Edward jaw clenched and his fists were pushed further into the ground, "He loved you?" he gritted through clenched teeth.

"I believe he does"

He read into my use of present tense and that was why he phrased his next question into a statement, "You loved him" he observed.

"It was after you left" I explained, hoping it would make the situation less horrible, "I think w-we uh met while I was with my grandmother – in Paris" I stammered out my thoughts.

"Do you know why he compelled you to forget?" his whisper was barely audible.

"Same reason, you would have when you were leaving me"

"Oh…" he replied. "Don't do this…Bella" he pleaded, making this more difficult, "We are at such a good place"

"I got over you!" I cried out.

"What?" he gasped.

"I got over you" I repeated in a calmer tone but began my rambling, "You told me it would be like you never existed and after some time it was. I forgot about you and I was…I was happy" I ignored how his face fell and continued, "I didn't feel the pain or the self-loathing. I was no longer asking myself what I did" as I spoke, the words felt so true, "Edward, I was happy"

"Then, I can't stop you" he murmured sadly.

I ran a palm over my face and angrily asked, "Why are you being so calm about this?" I fretted, "Why aren't you shouting at me?" my guilt was what led me to this incensed state.

He shook his head stubbornly, "It was my fault that this happened" he surprised me with his answer, numbing me to being dumbfounded, "I left. I wanted you to move on but-" he paused once again then sneered, "but not like that…"

"Danger magnet, remember?" I joked.

"Where does this leave us?" he finally asked the inevitable question lingering in the air, "Is there even an us?" he added in a broken whisper.

I reached over and hesitantly placed my palm over his. "I don't know"

When he didn't pull away, I slowly rested my head onto his shoulder. It took a few seconds for him to comply and wrap an arm around me.

We stayed there for a while, watching the sun rise and reveling in the image of the blends of pinks and oranges engulfing the dull grey mist.

"You're not sparkling" Edward gasped.

Not sure I heard him right; I sat up and looked up to him in question, "What?"

"Your skin" his eyes were wide and trailing over my form.

I looked down to my granite skin and sure enough no diamonds glistened on them. I then glanced up to the sky where the sun was and then back to my skin again.

"What changed?" Edward questioned.

Instinctively, I reached up to take hold of my necklace.

A/N: Many reveals and many questions…Please review