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TYLER

"Have you noticed how freakishly perfect Bella's family is?" I asked Reid as I drove us back to the dorm.

"Hell yeah, did you see their mom? Lucky bastard, that Mr. Cullen." I shook my head at my perverted friend.

"It's almost inhuman," I ventured. "Heck, I don't know. I must be a little traumatized with what happened to Bella."

"She's a tough one," said Reid. "Did you see how she quickly got up after Gorman shot her?"

"Yeah. I was scared shitless that she was dead!" When I saw Bella covered in blood and lying lifelessly on the ground I couldn't breathe. I've never seen anyone die let alone get shot.

"Good thing her dad's a doctor," said Reid. "I just can't believe they'd avoid us after what happened. It wasn't our fault that Gorman shot her!"

"I was thinking the same thing," I told him. "It's as if their protecting their family from something more than crazy hermits with shotguns."

"I don't care. I'm just pissed those girls aren't gonna hang out with us anymore."

"Is that all you think about?" I asked him incredulously. Ask a stupid question…

"Girls, sex and cars. That's about it."

"You don't even have your own car!" He just shrugged as I pressed on the accelerator and sped off towards the dorm. I was distracted when a pair of high beams shone behind us and overtook the hummer.

"Was that a Volvo?" asked Reid. "I didn't know they could go that fast!" The car looked disturbingly familiar. I swear I've seen that somewhere earlier. After a few minutes I pulled in to the student's private parking lot by the dorms.

BELLA

The next day was excruciating. I had to ride with Alice and Jasper because Edward left before I was finished getting dressed. He refused to acknowledge my presence in all our classes. He didn't even look at me. When lunch finally came, I had had enough. I purposely sped outside the classroom so I could corner him into talking to me. He wouldn't even dare try to run with all these people looking. My plan didn't work out exactly the way I wanted it to. I ran out the room and waited for Edward. To my dismay, he decided to walk out with the throngs of students so I couldn't reach him. After the hallway had cleared he was nowhere to be seen. I would have to try again at lunch. I just wished he didn't skip it.

Alice walked with me to the cafeteria where our siblings where waiting for us. Just as I predicted, Edward wasn't with them. I saw Reid and his friends seated at their table. They looked up and waved so I went to walk over to them, but Alice pulled me back.

"No, Bella," she said. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to them."

"What are you talking about, Alice? Did you see anything bad happen?"

"Well, no, but it's just a precaution," she told me gently.

"What is up with you guys? You're acting like Edward!" I shrugged off her hand and walked over to the boys. She just huffed and went over to where our siblings sat.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked them as I sat down. They shifted uncomfortably so I definitely knew something was wrong. "Is there anything on my face?"

"Um, no," said Caleb. "You're brother told us not to talk to you anymore." I couldn't believe Edward. How dare he tell my friends to avoid me?

"Don't mind him," I told them. "I don't listen to idiots and neither should you."

"Well in that case," said Reid. "Would you like to go to Nicky's with us after school?"

"What's Nicky's?" I asked. "And I'll have to take a rain check. I don't know if my parents would allow it."

"Just give us a call if you're good to go, okay?" he said.

"So, where's Kate?" I asked Pogue. I'd taken a liking to her after we met. She was so cheerful and friendly. She was like the human version of Alice, except they didn't look at all like each other.

"She's with Sarah," said Pogue. "They're on their way here."

"Who's Sarah?" I asked.

"Caleb's new girlfriend!" teased Tyler. Caleb grunted and threw a French fry at him.

"She's not my girlfriend," Caleb told me. "I just met her."

"No need to get defensive, Caleb!" said Reid. "He hasn't asked her out yet." Reid explained to me.

"I'd love to meet here," I told them. Suddenly, a familiar scent wafted through the air. I turned around and saw Edward glaring at me before heading over to the table where our siblings sat.

"I have to go," I told them. They nodded and I stood up and went over to Edward. Jasper slid over so I could sit beside Edward. I sat down and faced him but he refused to even breathe my scent.

"Edward," I said quietly. He still didn't look at me. I reached out my hand to touch his arm but he flinched and jerked it away. I don't know what was worse, Edward avoiding me or ignoring me. I sat beside him all through lunch and kept my mouth shut and my distance. I was way past forgiving him for not trusting me and telling Reid and his friends off. Right now, I just wanted my husband back.

"Edward, talk to Bella already!" Jasper said exasperatedly. "I can't stand her pain and sadness anymore!"

"I'm sorry Jazz," I said quietly.

"No, Bella!" said Jasper. "This isn't your fault." He turned to Edward and kept scolding him. "What is wrong with you? Out of all of us, you're the one least likely to pick a fight with your wife, Edward. Why are you dragging this on?"

"Mind your own business, Jasper," said Edward. He stood abruptly and hurried out of the cafeteria leaving me in a worse state than I was already in.

"I don't know what's going on with you and Edward, Bella, but I think it's better to avoid those guys just for a while. With all the jealousy Edward was harboring against them, I was about to smack Rosalie for sitting next to Alice."

"Hey!" exclaimed Rosalie. "Alice isn't my type, okay?"

"I resent that!" said Alice. Their little squabble managed to make me laugh just a bit. The bell rang shortly after and then I was forced to face Edward once again. He still ignored me until the end of class. He left school again before we did but when we got home he wasn't there yet.

"Where's Edward?" I asked Esme. She looked at me apologetically as I pleaded for her to tell me.

"I don't know, Bella," said Esme. "He dropped by earlier to say that he was leaving and didn't know when he would be back. I tried asking him to tell me where he was going but he wouldn't say." She looked uncomfortable at telling me this. I knew there was something more she wasn't saying.

"Tell me," I pleaded. Esme sighed and shook her head.

"He just needs time to think, Bella," said Esme. She was trying hard to keep her composure. It was as if she was in pain of whatever Edward told her.

"What exactly did he say, mom?" My voice was quiet and composed, but my nerves were shot. My husband was missing and I had no idea where he was.

"He said he wanted to get away from you." Esme said it so quietly that if I was still human I wouldn't have heard it.

"No, mom," I told her. "Maybe you heard him wrong or something." I was struggling to keep from breaking down. "Alice!" I yelled. A few seconds later, she was standing next to me.

"Where's Edward?" I asked her frantically. She was quiet for a few moments as she stared out in space.

"He's…" Alice sounded defeated. She didn't know this would happen.

"Where Alice? Tell me!" I was panicking now. Where would Edward go? Was I that horrible as a wife that he couldn't stand me anymore?

"He's on his way to New York," said Alice. "He's trying to decide where to go next after that. I keep seeing him overseas in different countries. I'll know where he's going when he's picked a destination."

"Why, Alice? Why?" I was sobbing heavily now. I couldn't hold myself up so I dropped down to the ground and held my head in my hands.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," said Alice as she sat down and hugged me. Esme was caressing my hair to calm me. "If I knew he was going away, I would have tried to stop him." I wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault but I couldn't find my voice. I couldn't move. I couldn't see anything except Edward. He was in our meadow, smiling happily at me and sparkling beautifully in the sun.