*Zoey's P.O.V*
We didn't go to school for the rest of the week, I'm not sure what was harder for me. Ignoring all of Bella's phone calls or Carter's. They both were constantly texting, and calling us. It was so hard to have to accept the fact that we were going to have to say goodbye. I knew Bella would take it the hardest, she was in love with my dad. She loved my whole family.
Friday afternoon rolled around, Bella had called probably five times today, and Carter had texted me almost twenty. I sighed placing my phone down after the last text came in. Walking down stairs, I saw my family finishing up the packing and covering our household items we've done so many times before.
"So, where are we going to go now?" I asked, crossing my arms while leaning against the doorway.
"Well, I thought we could go back to Tennessee, we all loved it there." Carlisle said, while pulling a sheet over the couch.
"I don't want to go to Tennessee, I want to stay here." I snorted. I hated this idea of constantly having to pick up and move all the time. I just wanted to be able to do something for once. "I am guessing I'll have to start my freshman year all over again?" I raised an eyebrow.
"We thought we could have you start in middle school, maybe allow us to stay there longer than a few years." Esme walked over to me. Middle school? Is my family insane?
"What?" I gasped, "No, I do not want to start in middle school." I stood up straight, I was getting pissed. "Why doesn't anyone see that all I want to do is finally graduate high school? So, I can go and graduate college!" I just wanted to feel like a semi-normal teenager for once. My aunts, uncles and dad have all graduated countless times. So, why can't I?
"We still have some time to discuss our options, but we are going to be leaving once your father returns from telling Bella goodbye." Carlisle walked by me, placing his hand on my shoulder giving me a reassuring squeeze.
So, my dad got to say goodbye to Bella, but I wasn't allowed to say goodbye to Carter? Talk about some double standard bull crap. I huffed loudly as I sat down on the bottom step. I pulled out my phone and looked at the wall paper of me and Carter at his family's fourth of July party. I was on his back, while he ran through the sprinkler. I was laughing, I wish I could be that happy right now. I began to dial Carter's number, walking outside towards the edge of the woods. Away from my family's hearing. After three rings, I heard him pick up.
"Zoey?" His voice was so kind, my heart wrenched. "Are you okay? Where are you? What's going on?" He started to ask so many questions.
"Carter?" I sighed, looking down at my feet, I kicked a rock into the woods. "I'm okay, I just have to tell you something." I bit down on my lip. I could feel my eyes filling with tears.
"What's up?" He sounded like he was walking outside, I heard a car door shut. I didn't want to say goodbye like this.
"Can we meet up?" I asked. Knowing he would say yes, "Meet me in twenty at our favorite diner" I stated, then hang up. I quickly ran into the house. Throwing on my rain jacket, and changing out of my leggings into some faded jeans. Trying to be sneaky, I grabbed my keys to my jeep and ran outside. I pulled out of the driveway, just to see Esme staring me from the front door. I didn't look back as I drove down the road.
Pulling into the parking lot, I saw Carter standing outside his car. He was wearing black sweats, with a cut-off shirt. He must have just had work outs. He slowly starts to walk over to me, before climbing into the Jeep.
"Hey," He finally said after we sat there in silence.
"Hi," I whispered back. I didn't look at him, I couldn't.
"What's been going on Zoey?" He asked roughly. "You have been gone all week, ignoring my calls, and treating me like I don't exist. I thought you liked me?"
"I do like you!" I replied quickly. "It's just, it's complicated."
He slammed the front dash, making me jump. "Everything is just damn complicated isn't Zoe. Every time something happens that's the only answer you give me!" He was upset, I could feel it radiating off onto me. I tried to focus to calm him down. "You never give me a straight answer, you just pretend everything is normal. Like you weren't just ignoring me for a week." I looked down, biting my lip and trying to not cry.
"Carter," I started but stopped. I wanted to tell him the truth, about everything. From the beginning to now, but I couldn't put him in that kind of danger. Sighing I reached and grabbed his hand. "I like you a lot." I looked him in the eyes, a tear slipped out and he reached across and wiped it off my face.
"I like you too Zoey," He softly responded, "Hell, I think I'm falling in love with you." My heart stopped, this couldn't be happening, not right now. Not when I am about to leave and never see him again.
"You can't be in love with me." I snapped, I needed to hurt him. It was the only way he would let me go.
He pulled away, looking shocked. "Why not?" He was confused.
"Because," I knew I was about to hurt him, "I can never love you. All you care about is sports, and drinking with your buds." He looked hurt, I kept going. "I couldn't love someone who loves getting drunk and partying every weekend instead of his girlfriend."
"You don't mean that, you know that I put you over that stuff every time." He was trying to defended himself.
Laughing, I rolled my eyes, "Oh, like when you insisted on driving and almost killed me?" That was a low blow, and I knew that would set him off.
"I can't believe you just went there." I could feel him getting pissed, I could see him shaking. "You're right, I couldn't love you. I guess I was blinded by your beauty to see your true colors. That you're a bitch!" He snapped at me. He got out and slammed the door. I watched him walk away, and drive off. I rested my head against the steering wheel as I broke into a loud, harsh sob. My heart has never felt like this before, I couldn't believe the pain I just caused him. I could feel how hurt he was, and I was so ashamed I did that to him.
Driving home, I kept the radio off and focused on the road through my blurry vision. The crying hasn't stopped, and it was making me sleepy. I parked my jeep and walked up to the house. Alice opened the door, pulling me into a tight hug, as I sobbed harder into her arms.
"He'll be okay," she whispered into my ear. I knew he would be. Soon he would move on and find someone better for him. I nodded at her as we walked up to the rest of my family.
"Where is Edward?" I asked, looking around seeing he was nowhere to be found.
"He just said goodbye to Bella, he is going to meet us in Tennessee." Esme said giving me a small smile, "He needs to cool off." Of course, only he could be upset about this choice.
We packed up the cars, and started to pull away from the home I have grown to love. Jasper drove my jeep, as I slept in the back. Before I knew it we arrived to the first home I met the Cullen's, the first place I felt like I belonged. I climbed out of the back seat as I walked to the front door.
"Looks different." The walls had been painted, and the carpet was replaced with wood floors.
"Yes, the man who lived in here after us fixed it up." Carlisle said, carrying in a bag of luggage.
"Whoever he was did a good job." I muttered, as I looked at the walls that had a beautiful design on it.
"Yes, Derek has always been good when it comes to designing and remodeling. He did your old room in Forks." Carlisle looked at the wall with me.
"Derek?" I looked up at him, and he nodded.
"Yep, Derek Loy. Good friend of our cousins in Denali." He said before walking off to help the others.
Remember Derek Loy, I heard fill my head. I gasped, holy crap. He's been under my nose the whole time.