"Whoa, you've dressed up," I say to Bella when she emerges from her room wearing a pale blue shirt and jeans. I felt way overdressed stood next to her, my skirt and top more suitable for an expensive cocktail party than a high school graduation.

"I think purple might clash with yellow," Bella states bitterly as we head into the kitchen and don the almost sickly yellow graduation robes.

"At least mine doesn't make me look as deathly pale as you," I counter snidely.

We were silent for a few long minutes before Bella sighed and opened her arms for a hug, "Take it now or forever hold you peace." I smiled and hugged her.

"Congratulations Bells," I squeezed her tightly and she returned it.

"You'll do great at college, I can already see you three years from now, hopefully not in yellow, but a fully-fledged lawyer."

I scoff and pull away, "And you, married and living with two kids up in Alaska, but at least you also have a degree," I wink and Bella rolls her eyes.

When we got to school there were the compulsory photos, everyone was so happy, finally after so much hard work we were all free to live our lives. In a way that was a more daunting prospect than waking up for school every morning, now everything was in my hands, my life was now fully my responsibility.

"Smile Swans!" Angela laughs and snaps a photo of me and Bella together. "Whoa, you guys look like twins all dressed up like that!" Bella and I look at each other for a moment before laughing together – twins?

After about half an hour of people chatting and taking smiling photos with parents and friends we were all ushered into the sports hall. Rows upon rows of chairs had been laid out ready for all the guests and a stage had been erected at one end, again full of chairs ready for our graduating class to take our seats.

I could feel him watching me, a warm tingling sensation rippling over my skin as from somewhere in the crowd Aro focused all his attention on me. Near the front was dad, dressed in a suit and smiling broadly, I wasn't sure if today was a day he had ever imagined, watching his two children graduate from Forks High school like he himself had done all those years ago. In the row behind sat Carlisle and Esme, Carlisle's hair shone like the finest spun gold in the gym lights, they looked remarkably out of place among the common folk of Forks. At the back, it had taken me nearly an entire minute for my eyes to seek him out, looking so out of place I'm surprised I couldn't find him sooner, was Aro.

He was wearing another dark suit, his hair swept behind his ears and most likely held by a clasp at the top of his neck. His eyes were dark as usual and seemed to see so much more than I could, even from so far away his gaze held me in a trance demanding all of my attention. He was beautiful, truly a sight to behold. A diamond buried in a sea of dull glass. He had surprised me by coming to this, his attendance was only for me and I smiled at that realisation.

The principle started his speech and a silent hush fell over the hall, I tried to listen, but somehow knowing that Aro was watching me the entire time made concentrating nearly impossible. It was only when names started being called that I finally drew my eyes away from him, not wanting to miss my turn.

Ten minutes later, after the majority of my classmates had been called forward and collected their hard earned graduation certificates was it my turn.

"Celestine Swan," the principal called and the hall filled with the congratulatory applause. Someone whistled loudly and I turned to see dad withdrawing his fingers from between his lips, he was beaming with pride and clapping like his life depended on it. Carlisle and Esme were clapping with slightly more vigour than they had been for previous students who weren't their own children. The principle congratulated me in person with a shake of my hand and handed me the rolled up piece of parchment, it was tied with a silky piece of yellow ribbon. When I turned towards the photographer who was poised and ready to take my celebratory snap my eyes found the back of the room.

Aro was smiling, perfectly white teeth and all, he nodded his head in silent praise and it wasn't until the principle gave me a pat on my shoulder did I realise I had been looking completely the wrong way for my photo and it was time to move on. I flipped the cord on my cap over to the other side and joined the rest of my class just off the stage where another cluster of chairs had been set up for us.

"Isabella Swan." I tucked the roll of paper beneath my arm and cheered loudly. Bella rose from her seat and made her way across the stage, not tripping or stumbling once. Dad whistled again and Bella blushed vibrantly as she collected her certificate, had the obligatory photo and left the stage to join us.

"Well done, well done to this years graduating class, we wish you all the best in the future and hope you go on to achieve great things!" The principle cheered and the crowd clapped again. "Now, please welcome Jessica Stanley, this year's Valedictorian who will say the final speech of today!" Another bout of clapping took place and Jess walked up to the podium.

"Are you going with Aro to the party?" Mike whispered over my shoulder as Jessica started to speak.

"Yeah, why?" I ask softly in reply, not wanting to draw any attention our way.

Mike rustled his robes as he shifted further forward in his chair. "Just wanted to know if you needed a lift," he says, his breath tinkling my ear making me cringe away.

"No, but thanks for the offer…"

I returned my attention back to Jessica's speech. Well, I intended to, before my eye caught a movement of dark shadows towards the back of the hall. Aro was leaving. Felix was with him, tall and mysterious, he bent his head to mumble something and the two men left out of the back door. Perhaps he had to take a phone call? Or organise the last finite details of his departure tomorrow? Whatever it was it was probably nothing – that's what I was telling myself, in an attempt to slow down my suddenly racing heart. The idea that he was going to leave early made my skin crawl and my throat become tighter as if I was trying to swallow past a Ping-Pong ball in my neck.

Jessica's speech was great, not that I ended up listening to a single word of it, but the cheers and whoops that followed was enough confirmation. I stood and clapped too, forcing a smile onto my face as people hugged and threw their caps in the air. When everyone started to disperse outside I hurried for the door, my eyes searching madly for any sign of my mafia boss boyfriend or his nephew bodyguards.

"Oi, you, picture!" Jess grabbed the sleeve of my gown and tugged me over into a group of people waving their certificates and getting ready to coordinate the throwing of graduation caps. "On the count of three – mum you take the picture on three too!" Jess shouts and everyone jostles for position. I grab my cap from my head and wait for the count before tossing it into the air and opening my mouth in a wide grin as I watched it soar above me. I had waited for this day for so long, and now I was finally throwing my cap in the air having graduated from school. When my fingers clasped back around the board I once again searched the sea of bodies looking for the one person I knew would make this moment even better. Yellow was everywhere but Aro's dark hair wasn't and I felt my stomach drop in disappointment as if I had swallowed lead and it now sat deep and heavy in my belly, dragging all of my previous happiness with it.

"Hey, Ce," Dad found me with Bella and Edward in tow. "Well done kid." He bundled me into his arms and hugged me harder than I ever remember him doing before. "You've made an old man proud."

"Oh dad, don't cry," I nearly laughed as I wiped a few stray tears from his face. "It really doesn't suit you!" my arms wrapped around him and I hugged him again before pulling away and allowing him the space I knew he'd need now he'd let out some pent-up emotion.

"We're going to head back to Edwards and help with the party set up," Bella says.

"Not that I think Alice will need it," Edward smirks. "Would you like a lift Celestine?" he asks.

"Oh." My eyes rake through the now thinning crowd of people, most parents would be ferrying their children over to the Cullen's house soon, the party started in an hour. My sweep came up empty and my shoulders sagged. "Yeah, please, if that's alright?"

"Sure," Edward smiles, I couldn't miss the sympathy in that gesture, he knew exactly who I was looking for, and probably where he had gone.

We stopped off at our house so Bella and I could ditch the yellow robes, I grabbed a few things from my room. Having already laid out a small silver shoulder bag I stowed away a few of the condoms I'd bought the other day and hid the bottle of lube at the bottom of the bag under my purse, keys and phone. As I did up the zip a twang of anger shot through me. What if Aro had left already? If he had wanted to escape without saying goodbye to save himself the embarrassment of letting me down.

I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and joined Bella and Edward back in the car. Enjoying the party was the main purpose of the first part of this evening, and I could have fun with or without Aro.

"Congratulations everyone," Carlisle raised his glass. We were all stood in the Cullen's kitchen. What must have been miles of fairy lights decorated the house, Alice had a sound system linked up throughout almost every room open to guests and flashing disco lights had been tested by Emmett and Jasper. Their already stunning house was decked to the nines, completely transformed into some sort of party palace.

Edward, Alice, Bella and I all raised our glasses in return and the other clapped. "Well done, all your hard work finally paid off," Carlisle continues.

"Ha," Emmett grins. "Finally eh?" he smiles and Rose jabs him in the side.

"Are you all staying for the party?" I ask, Esme and Carlisle had been incredibly generous allowing everyone to come over and undoubtable break at least one of their incredibly valuable belongings.

"We're just going to stay out of the way," Esme smiles. "Hide upstairs, but still be around if anyone needs anything."

I crack a smile, "Guess it's always good to have a doctor around at things like this."

"Oh goodness I hope no one does get paralytic!" Esme frowns.

"Doesn't?" Emmett laughs. "I'm counting on some scrawny kid smuggling in some spirits, will make my night when they start asking to dance around with boxers on their heads."

"Yes, and to end your wonderful evening you can clean up the vomit and other bodily fluids they leave around our house," Rosalie grumbles which sobers Emmett's laughter.

"Let's hope no one gets ill," Carlisle says. "Enjoy your evening everyone." The couple bid their farewells and head upstairs happily.

Emmett claps his hands, "Now mummy and daddy have gone up, time to start the party!"

~V~

The party had been raging for just over an hour. Everyone had arrived slightly early, eager to see the Cullen's 'Mansion' as Jess had called it. Even Lauren had made her entrance, I wasn't even sure if Alice had invited her but she was here anyway in a low cut dress and attempting to win over one of the boys from our history class. Tyler was dancing away with his friends, not paying Lauren an ounce of attention, I hoped her bitchy performance at the beach had warded him off.

I had tried to look like I was having fun, I'd danced with Angela and Jess, even dragging Bella onto the make shift dance floor to make her move with the music. My act had been so convincing I had actually started to have fun, until Mike had asked me where my invisible boyfriend was.

After that I had escaped out of the back door, huddled on back steps with my jacket wrapped around my shoulders and my message-less phone clasped in my hand. I had been tempted to ring him, ask him where he was and if he was ever going to make it to the party, but I had thought better of it. Aro was a grown man with far more responsibilities than I think I would ever have, something important might have come up and I didn't want to be the one to distract him.

The door opened behind me and I jumped, twisting to see Tyler. "Hey Cel, you alright?" He asks with a frown, he closed the door behind him and moved to sit next to me on the steps.

"Yeah," I sigh. "You enjoying the party?"

"Oh yeah, Doctor Cullen has a sick place," he grins and draws something out of his pocket. "Do you mind?" He asks holding up a cigarette packet. I shake my head and he proceeds to take out a single cigarette and cup his free hand around the end while he used a lighter to start it. "Bad habit I picked up from my brother at Christmas…do you want one?" He offers.

"No thanks," I decline and Tyler smiles, clamping his lips around the small white cylinder and drawing in a shallow breath.

"So why you waiting out here? Claustrophobic?"

I shake my head. "I'm pretty sure I've been stood up," I say.

"Ah," Tyler clucks his tongue and takes another drag, the smoke pluming around his face. "I get you, it's a shitty feeling. But you just got to think why waste your time on someone who doesn't appreciate the goods?"

"You make a good point but…I don't think its quite like that."

"Is this the same guy I saw you with the other week?" I nod in reply. "What was his name again? Aru?"

"Aro," I correct with a small chuckle.

"He seemed decent," Tyler smiles warmly. "Maybe you're right, man like that must have things to do."

"Actually, do you think I could try one?" I ask changing the subject suddenly and nodding at the half gone cigarette in his hand.

"Try the rest of this one," he says and carefully passes me the end that's not lit. "Right so hold it between your lips and take a small intake of breath, don't bloody gasp it in like my cousin, you'll be coughing for hours otherwise."

I followed his instructions and held the cancerous object between my lips and sucked in a breath. The smokey hot air burnt as it was forced down my throat. As it reached my lungs I instantly tried to cough it back up, the sooty flavour never leaving my mouth.

"Haha," Tyler laughed and patted my back as I coughed again. "I told you not to breathe too deep. You going to give it another go?"

I tried again, the sensation still unpleasant but my lungs didn't object quite as much this time. "End of school and I've finally managed to corrupt the Police chiefs' daughter," Tyler chuckles. "Took me long enough eh?"

I handed the cigarette back to him with a smile, my tongue trying to scrape away any acrid smokey flavour left in my mouth. "God that truly was awful," I finally spit out.

"It gets better with practice," Tyler reassures me.

"I don't think I'll be practicing," I laugh. "What are you plans now then?"

Tyler snuffs out the cigarette against the step and rolls up the left over butt in a piece of tissue and tucks it back into his pocket. "I'm volunteering in Haiti over summer, going to build emergency shelters and schools, should be pretty good."

"Whoa, Tyler I had no idea," I gasp in shock. Philanthropist volunteering work wasn't anything I had ever imagined Tyler doing.

"Yeah well I had a bit of a re-look at my life after I nearly killed you…needed to stop being such a lazy dick and get up and do something. Helping families who have had everything they own cruelly snatched from them seems like a good place to start…after that…well I haven't thought that far ahead, congratulate me one plan A part one."

"Tyler this is fantastic! You're so nice doing this, and you'll have a great time over there, you will be great."

"There was a time when I never thought I would be able to talk to you again," Tyler says solemnly. "I thought I'd killed you Cel, crushed you to death with my stupid van…" he paused and shook his head. "Fuck, I could have killed you!"

"Yeah…that would have totally sucked," I mumble in agreement. "I'm really glad you didn't!"

Tyler turned fully. "Look Celestine, I really am sorry about that," he says his eyes pleading. "If I could turn back time and stop it ever happening…"

"Tyler you don't need to apologise again, I never blamed you, and there is no need to keep saying sorry. You go and enjoy your life, help other people…and quit smoking," I smirk. "And I will be proud to have almost been crushed to death by your van."

"It's a shame we didn't have this conversation sooner little Swan," he smiles, adopting the nickname all my classmates had given me when Bella first arrived in Forks. "Our friendship could have been something different."

"Hindsight is a terrible thing," I smile in return. Just as Tyler was getting to his feet the door opened behind us.

"Celestine, I've been looking everywhere…I'm so sorry I am late," Aro's furrowed brow, paired with his apology seemed to magically wipe away all my bitter thoughts as to where he might have run off to. But sadly it couldn't quite erase the heartache as to why he had left me in the dark.

"Hey, mate could I have a word?" Tyler casually bumped his fist against Aro's shoulder and I physically tensed as I watched Aro's face go from sincere to furious faster than I could blink.

"Tyler, wasn't it?" Aro asks.

"Yeah, just a quick word…please?" Tyler asks again, taking a step back and onto the grass urging Aro to follow. I stayed seated as they walked a few more paces away just out of my earshot, with the music wafting from inside they didn't have to go far before I was deaf to any words leaving their mouths.

Tyler stayed true to his word and in under a minute he was walking back up the steps. "See ya round Cel, keep it touch yeah?" He smiles and nudges my shoulder with his fist. I scramble to my feet and hug him properly.

"Definitely," I smile. "Don't be a stranger Tyler."

Once Tyler was back inside I rounded on Aro. "Where have you been? What was so important that you couldn't even text me? I thought you had just upped and left early!"

"I would never leave you without saying goodbye," Aro says, he'd closed the gap between us as I'd been speaking to Tyler.

"Where did you go then? You were meant to pick me up from graduation…all my friends think you're made up now!"

"You looked like you were having fun," he responds fluidly with a shrug of his shoulders.

I stepped down, which I regretted as soon as my feet hit the grass and I became shorter than him, but not wanting to look stupid and step back up to level our height I simply pushed against his chest in the hopes to knock him back a few paces…he didn't move an inch. "Don't be like that," I scowl. "Tyler was just apologising again about nearly killing me. Perhaps if you turned up on time and didn't boycott an event you agreed to come to with me then you wouldn't have to get jealous."

Aro reached up and gripped my wrists in his hands. "You think I'm jealous?" He asks with a small smirk.

"Don't be a cocky arse either," I frown and he pulls my wrists apart, spreading his arms slowly wider and wider so I had no choice by to step closer until our chests were flush and he held both mine and his arms out to either side.

"I am sorry," he says. "I cannot think of an excuse worthy of leaving you in the lurch like I did. You are correct, I had time to inform you, I should of…and I am even more sorry for what I must say now." His sentence finished on a possibly even more solemn tone than when it started.

"Say what?" I could feel my heart in my stomach, that dense feeling of complete disappointment. Whatever he had to say was bad.

"We're leaving tonight, there is an issue I must attend to immediately back home."

"Tonight…?" the word sounded like I had tried to say it underwater. My throat was as dry as sandpaper, rasping out each word. "Why?"

Aro bowed his head and released my hands. Immediately my arms fell back to my sides, all strength seemed to evaporate from me. "An urgent issue," he rephrased his own words.

"You're just going to leave?"

"I promised I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye," his hands cupped my face and forced me to look up at him. "Celestine look at me."

My eyes were trained on the dark shadows of the trees behind him. Anything but him. I couldn't even hear the music from the house anymore, just a strange sort of white noise that dominated my senses. "I can't…you can't leave."

"Celestine," Aro sighs my name and I feel tears spilling down my cheeks. "I must go, but it will not be forever." I felt his lips meet my skin, kissing away my tears which only made more fall.

My hands gripped the sleeves of his jacket, my grip so tight my fingers were protesting. "No, you can't go!" my voice was stronger now, still rasping against my tears but louder and more determined to change his mind. "Not yet, please…"

"I'm sorry," was the only thing I heard as he bundled me into his arms and hugged me close to him. The rich scent of him overtook my senses and I cried. Uncontrollably sobbed into his smart suit.

~V~

Music blared through the house, if had been any louder I was sure the paintings on the walls would start swaying. My sobbing had ceased but tears still strayed from my eyes, I wasn't sure if they would ever stop. Aro lead me by the hand through the milling people, their stares didn't bother me, they could think what they liked, the only thing that mattered was that Aro was leaving me.

I only vaguely payed attention when Aro stopped and found my jacket, he proceeded to wrap it around my shoulders before having a few words with Carlisle who was waiting by the door. Outside Felix and Demetri were waiting by Aro's car, they held the doors open and Aro ushered me inside, his hand never breaking contact with my skin.

I relaxed back into the plush leather seats, my head twisted away from him but my fingers clutching tightly to his. A numb feeling was starting to settle inside me, there was no way I could stop him from leaving, and although he promised he would return I couldn't help but dread that those words were false, that once he stepped foot back into his life he would realise what a waste of time this little expedition was.

A flair of anger lanced through me as my mind wandered back a few months. When Edward had left Bella she had fallen into a catatonic state, not only destroying her own life but also fracturing the lives of those around her. Dad and I had suffered too, weeks and weeks of being woken up by her screams, worrying about her health, protecting her from almost suicidal activities all because of one man. I would not become Bella, I couldn't make my dad go through something like that again. My hand tightened around Aro's. I could be as determined as I wanted but I feared that I may not be able to keep my own promise.

"Are you looking forward to seeing your mother?" the words sounded like they had been shouted beside me making me jump. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that when I turned around Aro had moved across a seat to sit right next to me.

His words reminded me of the graduation present he'd given me, the first-class tickets to Florida and back. Two weeks in the sun did sound like a luxury but there would be one thing missing. Him.

"Oh…yes, I…thank you again for the tickets," I say softly and watch as his lips move up into a small smile.
"You're welcome," his voice is soft. "Celestine please don't be sad, it makes me feel terrible that I am the cause of your tears. I promise I will return, and when that time comes I will make sure that I never leave you again." His words were meant to be reassuring, there were to a certain extent, but my emotional brain didn't quite register the almost sinister hint that laced between them. "Here, I have a few things for you."

Aro reached into his pocket and withdrew a mobile phone. "This is for us to keep in contact while I'm away, it's completely paid for so message me whenever you feel like it and don't worry about the time difference, I work strange hours so will be able to reply throughout the day and night."

A smile re-emerged on my lips, "Thank you," I clutched the small device in my hand, my own personal Aro-Hotline.

"And this," he briefly releases my hand to withdraw a small box from his pocket. "I will get you a better one in the future, but this will do for now."

He passes me the box and I open it with shaking fingers. Inside, on a bed of red velvet was a delicate golden chain, the pendant in the middle was a small but intricately designed letter V. Small crystals decorated the sides of the letter, and what looked like perfectly carved flowering vines wove their way around the gems. "It's gorgeous," I whisper and carefully extract it the necklace from its box. It was a delicate replica of the larger pendant Aro wore around his own neck. I'd only seen it once, he kept it neatly hidden under his shirts, the mental image of the golden V against his naked chest would never leave my brain. "I haven't got you anything…"

"You didn't need to," he smiles and coaxes the necklace from between my fingers. "Allow me."

I held my hair out the way, his cold fingers sending shivers down my spine as they brush against the sensitive skin of my neck and secure his gift. The necklace seemed to hold a weight that was more than just its mass, although the metal was cool it felt like fire against my skin, burning its V into my flesh.

"I love it…" I smile softly and place the box next to the phone on my lap. "Aro I…" Tears were still leaking from my eyes, and they gathered in frequency as the words I desperately wanted to say bubbled up in my throat. "I love you."

His whole face softened. A delicate smile was on his lips and his eyes were impossibly dark, he raised his hands to cup my face, a hand moving round to weave into my hair, holding my head still as he stared into my eyes. "I have loved you since the moment I saw you, Celestine."

We kissed. It didn't even matter that we had an audience. My arms went around his neck and I pulled him as close to me as possible, relishing in the complete aroma of him. The questions he'd asked me at Shark Bay Cliff echoed in my mind.

What could I see? Aro, his face, eyes, hair. Every part of him would forever remain in perfect detail inside my mind. Every time I closed my eyes I would be able to see him.

What could I hear? His voice, so utterly perfect, I was sure I would be dreaming about our conversations. The desire to use the phone he'd given me to ring him every day was already hard to resist.

What could I smell? His scent. Deep and rich, like the forest and dark chocolate, but also his freshness, so clean it reminded me of mint. The notes in his scent were so clear to me I could almost taste them.

What could I feel? My hands threaded through his silky hair, holding him as close as I could. His lips were against mine, the feel of them were perfect, I could kiss him forever and I would never get bored.

Everything about Aro was engrained into my very being. No matter how long he stayed away, even if he never came back I could never rid the memory of him, I would never be able to replace these feelings, he had wanted to win my heart. Now it belonged to him.