The ride back to Charlie's was uneventful so far, well, maybe except for the drizzling rain. The light trickling of rain on my skin was a welcomed distraction. The quiet howls of the wind were blowing away the thoughts from my mind.

I rode my bicycle carefully this time, making sure that I won't inflict any more damage onto my knee. And besides, I didn't want to make another trip to the hospital any time soon. Or maybe ever again.

The as thought as to why I would never step foot on the Forks Community lingered on my mind, and I tried my hardest to make it go away. At least until I've safely tucked myself back at home.

I was just rounding up the corner, my childhood home already in sight, when I heard an engine purring behind me.

I didn't dare to look back, I was afraid that I might fall off of my balance and injure myself any further.

Instead, I sidled to the right side of the road and waited for the vehicle behind me to pass through.

It didn't go ahead of me, though. Alternately, it even slowed down to my pace.

This piqued my interest, and made my heart race in my chest, so I came to a stop on the side of the road. I unhurriedly hopped off of my bike and turned to face the vehicle that also stopped a few feet behind me.

From my periphery, I can make out a silver stupid shiny Volvo, and its owner still sitting behind the wheel.

I didn't have to look closer to identify the car that was following me.

I quickly hopped back to my bicycle, intending to pedal away as fast as I can. I was just poised to jumpstart my bicycle, my leg preparing to exert enough force that I'll almost fly back to Charlie's house.

The sound of a door closing behind me made the breath whoosh out of my lungs.

I remained still, my right foot frozen on the pedal while the other one balanced me and the bicycle.

I heard the footsteps walking towards me, and with sound brings some unwarranted anger and irritation.

I strained to hear if the footsteps had stopped, the howling of the wind almost drowning out the quiet sounds made by the stupid shiny Volvo owner.

"Bella," he whispered behind me, his voice quiet.

I didn't turn to look at him, nor acknowledge him. I simply stood there, straddling my bike, my knuckles almost turning white from the way I clenched the bars.

"Bella, please let me explain," Edward continued, his voice sounding near.

I turned back slightly to watch him walk cautiously towards me, his hands extended as if I was a wild animal about to pounce.

I huffed and turned back around, loosening my hold on the bars and preparing to take off again.

The hand that suddenly held onto my arm seized my movements, its gentle grasp rendering me speechless momentarily. I turned to look at Edward slowly, bracing myself for the impact of seeing whatever expression on his face.

The spark of electricity that coursed through us was surprising yet expected, the current the same as it had been even years before.

Edward didn't remove his hand on my arm, and I didn't actually try to shake it off.

Instead, we stood there on the side of the road, two idiots unreasonably still as we looked at each other with trepidation in our eyes.

My anger dissipated for a fleeting moment when I saw the resignation etched on Edward's face. But as I recalled what he told me as we sat comfortably close on the couch in his office, it returned with a rapid pace.

I cannot believe that he can keep this from me for six whole months.

Regardless of our lack of relationship, I think I had the right to know something as major as this.

With this thought, I gently shook off his hand from me, ignoring the slight frown marring his beautiful face.

I turned my attention back to my bicycle, my hands flexing before I gripped the handlebars again.

I started to move again, leaving Edward behind, still standing on the side of the road.

The rain had started to fall a little heavier, prompting me to pedal faster.

I reached the driveway within seconds, my heart thumping wildly in my chest from my exertion of force. Sweat was lightly dripping down my back, and a light sheen of it was forming on my forehead.

I looked back subtly at the corner, trying to see if Edward was still there.

He was still there, standing in the middle of the rain, letting his clothes soak through.

I stowed away my bicycle in the shed, almost running to the porch as the rain started to fall harder.

I glanced over at Edward again, and see that he was starting to go back to his car.

Slight disappointment washed over me when I realized that he still wasn't coming after me. But as I watched his Volvo move towards the house, my dismay turned into panic.

I scrambled to get off the porch and into the house, slamming the front door after me.

I leaned back against the door, breathing heavily as I pressed my ear to listen to the sound of an engine being cut off.

The footsteps on the porch's floorboard was almost muted by the rain, but I heard them loud and clear.

I tried to take deep breaths, the ringing in my ears disrupting the silence that has descended.

I pressed my ear harder into the door, trying to hear anything from the other side.

The pounding that came seconds after startled me so much that I jumped back from the door and landed on my ass.

I sat on the floor, dumbfounded, as I looked up. The door was visibly shaking from the thumping Edward was raining on it.

I clambered to get up, my behind stinging from my fall. Once I have regained my balance, I quietly headed to the window overlooking the porch.

I moved the dusty curtain aside, hoping that the movement wouldn't catch Edward's eye.

It seemed that it didn't as he continued his vigorous knocking. I watched him for a while, focusing on the intent look on his face.

After a while, he stopped his abuse on the door and started to pace instead. The floorboards creaked under his weight as the rain pelted in the background.

I slowly retracted from the window, gingerly touching the curtain to put it back in place.

I took a deep breath and tried to gather my scattered thoughts as much as possible.

I walked a few tentative steps towards the door, my heart unexpectedly calm. I clasped the doorknob in my hand warily, the cold metal a stark contrast from my warm touch.

I turned it slowly and watched with rapid attention as the door opened between us.

Edward has stopped his pacing, his hair everywhere. His eyes were trailed on the door, looking as if he stopped breathing for a moment as I revealed myself behind the entrance.

I stepped out quietly before I closed the door behind me. Crossing my arms across my chest, I gazed up at Edward with a serious look on my face.

He looked momentarily taken aback by my reappearance, so I let him take me in before I started to demand answers from him.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, with Edward and his crazy hair all over the place and me standing tersely in front of him.

He cleared his throat a few times, his eyes bouncing all over the place. I let him compose himself, while internally, I was doing the same thing.

A few more moments of silence passed by before Edward cleared his throat again and opened his mouth to start. I refocused my eyes on him and waited.

"Bella," he started, his voice hoarse, "I'm sorry for springing it up on you like that,"

I nodded and waited for him to continue.

"And I promise you, I didn't intend for it to happen at all, but it did and I'm so sorry," his voice was a whisper by this point, his words barely heard by my straining ears.

"Was there anyone else?" I asked quietly, my head hanging with my eyes trained on his feet.

"Just Bree," he whispered back, but he could have shouted it at the top of his lungs by the way it punched me right through my gut.

I bobbed my head mutely, still not looking up to his face.

I heard Edward release a deep sigh, his hands moving towards his hair in my peripheral.

"Bella, please," he pleaded.

My head snapped to look at his face, "Please what, Edward? Please understand your predicament?" I asked sarcastically.

He swallowed audibly, the bob of his throat distracting me for a second.

"It's not like that," he said, "I was drunk and I didn't know any better."

"God, Edward," I exclaimed, "I waited for you for six months, and what? This is what awaits me here?"

"I didn't tell you to wait!" Edward cried out, "We said good bye in New York, didn't you remember? You practically forced me out of your life again, Bella. What was I supposed to do when I thought that you were living your life out there?"

I stared at him, stupefied beyond belief.

"Well, that changes things," I muttered under my breath, "a lot,"

I abruptly turned back around, intending to head back inside. Edward shot out his arm towards me and firmly grasped my hand.

I stood there, with my back facing Edward, resolve made in my mind.

"Bella," he said, his breath washing over my shoulder in warm puffs.

"Good bye, Edward," I told him, freeing my hand from his.

I walked stiffly to the door, not daring to look back at him.

I silently went in, my lip trembling from the effort of trying to reign in my tears.

The last image I had of Edward was him standing on Charlie's porch, despair etched across his face as the rain fell down from the skies.

AN: Thank you for reading!