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…..

Chapter title – All around me – Flyleaf

My hands are searching for you
My arms are outstretched towards you
I feel you on my fingertips
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

This fire rising through my being
Burning I'm not used to seeing you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savouring this heart that's healing

(I think it's safe to say that I'm a flyleaf nut! They rock!)

…..

Esme disappeared upstairs, leaving me with a puzzled expression on my face.

I swallowed my mouthful of food and looked at Carlisle who was watching me with a loving smile on his face. If I didn't feel so grateful for what they had done for me, and feel so at home, then I would be seriously freaked.

"Why the spare room?" I asked him timidly, earning a laugh from Carlisle

"Because that's where you're staying" he smiled, taking a glass from a shelf beneath the counter and placing it on the counter while I stared at him like he had three heads. "What would you like to drink?"

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, tears brimming in my eyes. Nobody had been so nice to me before, except maybe Edward.

Edward. The name just brought even more tears to my eyes. I needed him back.

Carlisle laughed softly, squeezing my shoulders lightly in reassurance "Because you need it" he said simply, proceeding only when I raised an eyebrow at him "Lets just say we have our reasons" he smiled sadly.

"Thank you" I said, smiling sadly back at him.

After yet another sandwich and four glasses of orange juice (I hadn't eaten properly I what seemed like years!) Esme lead me up to the spare room and gave me some of her spare pyjamas to sleep in. I thanked her again and she simply smiled and bid me goodnight.

The room was simple, yet modern. The walls were white while the furniture was dark and minimalist. It reminded me of the way Edward's room was decorated at his apartment.

Tears rolled down my cheek. I needed to be with Edward. I loved him. He had changed my life and now I didn't want to go back to where I had been before him. If I couldn't get back to him then where would I go? I didn't even know where I was! What if I couldn't find Jacob and Leah's place? What if I could find it but by the time I got there Edward had already left?

The questions wouldn't stop.

I crawled into the beautifully made bed, cocooning myself in the soft duvet, letting the tears fall until I couldn't cry anymore and drifted off into a much needed slumber.

….

The smell of cooking bacon filled my nose as I rolled over my colossal new bed. I'd been here for nearly a week now. Everyday I had thanked Carlisle and Esme non stop, and everyday I had said that I didn't want to impose anymore and had tried to get into a hotel. Everyday they had laughed and persuaded me to stay another night.

I liked it here, I didn't want to leave to go and live in a crappy little hotel room on my own. The only problem was; Edward wasn't here.

I had realised, my first morning here, that I had lost my phone, probably when I was in the woods. Any hope of contacting Edward was gone. I didn't know his mobile number off by heart yet and I didn't have a clue what Jake's new number was. I missed him no end, every night when I lay on my own in bed I would feel the same sense of Loneliness sweep over me and I would end up crying myself to sleep.

No doubt Carlisle and Esme heard, I tried to keep it down but they were only next door, plus occasionally, I didn't realise how loud I was being until it was too late. Nevertheless, they hadn't said anything. They were as kind as they were when I had first arrived; they tried to keep me busy and entertained, and were always willing to let me stay longer. Only Carlisle worked so me and Esme spent time together during the day and then they insisted on taking me somewhere to eat, or cooking when Carlisle got home.

They had taken me shopping, I had used some of the inheritance money in my account and Esme had insisted on buying one or two outfits. I told them time and time again that, as grateful as I was, they didn't need to do any of this for me and that they shouldn't waste their money on me. Like I said before; they would just laugh and persuade me to stay another night. Unfortunately, as stubborn as I was, I didn't take much persuading. I had nowhere else to go and, as every day passed, the likelihood of seeing Edward again faded and faded.

I rolled out of bed and pulled on the robe that I had treated myself to a few days ago. Padding down the stairs, I saw a glimpse of Esme watching the TV. I walked t the living room and sat down on the opposite sofa, smiling politely at her.

"Morning" I smiled, suppressing a yawn

She looked up from the TV and smiled beautifully, "Morning, did you sleep well?"

"yes, thanks" we both knew very well that was a lie but she didn't say anything more on the subject, smiling kindly at me before getting up and heading towards the kitchen, gesturing for me to follow.

After eating a filling breakfast I went upstairs to dress. Esme had gotten an urgent call from her friend and was off to see her. She had offered to take me with her but I had said that I would be fine on my own and she should go out and enjoy herself. She had left shortly after eating her breakfast and I was now alone in the mansion.

I pulled on my trusty black skinny jeans and a recently purchased Domo-Kun hoodie, followed by my favourite converse and a hat. I decided that I would go into the town. Esme had told me that if you turn left at the end of the drive and carry on down that road it is about a five minute walk to the town.

(a/n – link to hoodie on profile)

I hadn't realised just how long their drive was! I walked down their stupidly long drive and down the road into the town. The town itself was quite pretty, it was very picturesque, all the cute little houses with roses in their perfectly groomed gardens. Very cliché.

I ate my lunch in a cosy café and decided to walk around the high street. I found a little bookstore and browsed for a while, shielding myself from the wind that was howling outside, I found a book I thought was interesting and treated myself. I really needed to stop spending money like it was going out of fashion; it was burning a hole in my bank account. I didn't want to spend my inheritance money on crap; I wanted to spend it on something that was important to me.

I decided not to stay in alone. Something about the way this place was decorated reminded me about Edward; it was as if he had the same taste in décor as Carlisle and Esme. It was unnerving.

I ventured out into the streets after I had overstayed my welcome in the bookstore and took to wandering around the side streets. It smelt like farm animals so I wandered down a muddy path, following the smell.

I don't know why I did, I didn't even like animals that much, but I was glad I did. It was peaceful and, although the smell wasn't pleasant, I found a tree to sit under and contented myself reading my book.

The sun began to set and I put my book down, watching as the sun sent red and orange streaks across the horizon. Eventually I stood, not wanting to walk home in the dark and not wanting to worry Carlisle and Esme. They really were amazing to me, they treated my as their own.

I was contemplating how to repay them for everything they've done for me when something caught my eye. I looked over to my right, the sun shining off man's bronze hair.

My heart skipped a beat, could it be?

I shook my head.

Of course not.

I continued walking, heading back the way I had come. The man seemed to be heading for the same path as me. From here all I could see was his hair, shining in the sun.

I kept on telling myself I was just hoping, just being delusional, but something in the back of my mind kept on nagging, It might be him. But it probably wasn't. But why risk it?

I gave in, eventually slowing my pace so that we would cross the path at around the same time, giving me a chance to get a good look at him.

He was walking in the shade of the hedge, making his features illegible. He was looking at the ground as he walked but I still only took the briefest of looks, just in case he were to look up and notice the crazy girl staring at him.

The hedge came to an end, exposing his features.

I froze.

So did he.

I blinked.

So did he.

Oh. My. God.

"Edward?" I croaked

"Bella" his voice was as horse as mine.

"Edward!" I screamed, throwing myself over the fence that separated us and jumping into his arms, completely overjoyed. He pulled me tight against him, kissing my head, my hair, my cheeks, my nose before finally kissing my lips.

"Oh, Bella" he breathed, hugging me even tighter "I thought I'd lost you"

I was crying now, I was so happy. I refused to let go of him as I cried into his chest, while he stroked my hair.

I was so damn emotional sometimes!

Once I had pulled myself together I pulled away from his embrace to look at him. In the dimming light I could see deep bags under his eyes. He looked like hell.

"Edward, when was the last time you slept?" I asked, sniffing

"I'm fine" he shrugged

"You don't look it" I said, resting my head against his chest.

"I was worried about you" He said while I shivered involuntarily in his arms, the wind was really picking up now.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he took off his jacket and gave it to me, raising an eyebrow at me in warning when I tried to protest.

"Working, trying to stop thinking about how I've failed you" he answered nonchalantly, looking around. I tried to protest, to tell him that in no way has he failed me but he silenced me with his lips.

He pulled away after a while, leaving us both breathless.

"Come on, you're cold" he said, pulling me along the path with him. "I have a hotel room booked"

"You're not staying there" I said simply. Edward looked at me like I was crazy, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Then where do you propose we stay, In the bushes?" The sarcasm was thick in his voice.

"you can if you want" I huffed "I have somewhere to stay but if you'd rather spent the night in the bushes alone then I'm not stopping you" I sped up ahead. Why was it that I had been back with him for little over 10 minutes and yet I was always peeved with him.

"I'm sorry" he breathed as he caught up with me, pulling me by the waste so that I was against him.

"No, I'm sorry" I said, kissing his nose lightly "I shouldn't be so petty"

He smiled at me then, kissing my chastely "So, where to?"

"a nice couple helped me out when I got away from James, they've been insisting that I stay with them since I got out of hospital"

He went pale "Hospital?" I nodded. "I thought it was James, Jacob heard you screaming, but by the time he got out of the car you were no where to be seen. We were looking for you all night. We didn't know where you were" he looked sadly down at me, the look on his face heartbreaking. "I was so worried. I thought I'd lost you"

I smiled at him sadly. "Back at you"

We walked back to the house chattering, he told me about how they had called the police but they had said you were fine and living in a near by town. Edward had thought I didn't want to know him anymore because I hadn't been in touch. I explained how I'd lost my phone and hadn't been able to contact anyone.

Jake and Leah and the guys were all really worried and Edward said he felt responsible. He said he should have gone with me to the store, that way nothing would have ever happened. Apparently Jake was thinking along the same lines.

I assured him that I was fine, relaying the details of my escape and my night in the woods. Explaining about how I was found and how great Carlisle and Esme had been to me.

We walked up the drive, hand in hand, and after seeing a light on in the hallway I opened the door, stepping inside.

"Oh, Bella, we were wondering where you had gotte-" Esme trailed off, staring at Edward who was staring back at her. They both had the same shell shocked expression on their faces.

"Esme, this is –"

"Edward?" she finished off my sentence for me.

Puzzled, I asked "how did you kn-"

"Bella, we're leaving" Edward snarled, grabbing my arm and dragging me down the steps as Esme shouted after us.

………….

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