Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, everything else is mine.

Thanks to Midnight Cougar for beta'ing and fixing my tense issues. :)


Chapter 55

Your fingers lightly stroke my back, the flames from your touch licking with each stroke up, and then back down. I should move away from you, but I don't. My body remembers the peace it felt in your arms and prevents me from leaving.

"Where are your friends; Angela, Jessica, Peter, Charlotte? I know your mom walked out on you, but what about Charlie?" you question.

"I pushed them all away," I whisper. "I didn't want to have any attachments, and other losses that could hurt me. Charlie checks in, but we really don't talk anymore. After I left the hospital, after I buried her, I just stopped. I stopped caring about everything. I didn't care if I lived or died.

"Charlie wanted to help and he tried, really he did. It was me. I couldn't deal with the look of pity and pain on his face. It broke him to watch me fall apart. I felt so guilty about that, so I made him believe I was ok, that everything was ok. Then I moved away from everything and everyone, away from you. And away from the reminders of everything I had lost."

I ran away, but then realized, I could run but I couldn't hide. But I don't tell you that.