BPOV

Day 1

He holds on just as tightly as I do. I knew him going to Chicago for a week was going to be a little rough, but it was hitting me harder now while we said goodbye at the drop-offs.

Edward was leaving his SUV with me while he was away, so I needed to calm down so I'd be able to drive all the way to Forks.

"I'm going to miss you," he murmurs, kissing my temple.

"Me too," I say with a sigh.

"I'll be back before New Year's," he promises.

I nod.

I knew this.

"You better go or you'll miss your flight," I say quietly.

He shoulders his bag giving me one last kiss before he heads in for his flight.

I get in the car wiping my eyes of the tears that wouldn't stop falling. "Quit being a fucking baby," I mumble to myself.

After a few minutes of crying, I finally have calmed down enough to drive the two hours back to Forks.

His flight was early enough that there was barely any traffic on the roads. It had been a while since I last drove my truck, it's been out of commission since last summer. Part of me knew if I wanted to drive it again that I would need Jake to fix it, but I was still pretty salty with him over the nude photos and his lack of accountability for them.

I took the exit for Port Angeles knowing their coffee shops were open. The drive-through is dead so I'm in and out, my thoughts start to drift to Edward boarding for his flight by now. I could feel it was going to be a long week without him but we would survive.

God, I'm being so melodramatic.

I pull into our driveway, grabbing the mail on the way in. Charlie was at work and with me being off for Christmas break I had nothing to do to pass my time.

I shuffle my way back up to my bed to go back to sleep, my eyes start to grow heavy until I'm out.

I awake around noon when my phone starts to buzz, I pull it out from my pocket.

I just landed. - E

I miss you. – B

I lay against my pillows with a huff.

As I stare up at the ceiling, I make the decision to call Jazz.

"Hey," he answers.

"You bored?" I asked.

"I'll be over in ten," he responds before hanging up.

I became excited because Jazz and I hadn't hung out just the two of us for quite some time. He finds me up in my room when he arrives.

"You don't lock the door?"

"It's Forks," I say with a shrug.

"Bells," he sighs, pulling a joint out of his pocket. "Lock your doors."

I start for the door but he stops me. "I locked them before coming up, but I mean going forward."

I nod.

We spent the next half hour on my floor near my open window getting baked. We usually didn't smoke here in fear of Charlie catching us, but he wouldn't be home anytime soon and the smell would be long gone.

"I need to tell you something," Jazz says, taking a long drag of the joint.

"Okay," I drawl.

"I've been hanging out with Brandon," he says exhaling.

I blink, sitting up slightly.

"So, are you together now?" I ask, trying to keep the betrayal of his loyalty out of my voice.

"No," he sighs. "It hasn't been like that for a while and— it's not like that."

I watch him seeing how conflicted he looks.

It warms me slightly.

Jasper wasn't some kind of asshole who got off on playing girls. He was one of the most stand-up guys I knew.

A stoner with a heart of gold.

The thought almost makes me cackle, which leads me to believe I am most definitely blitzed.

I turn my gaze out the window, not sure what to say.

"I don't want you thinking I betrayed your trust or anything," he says, lightly tugging at my wrist. "She came to me needing someone to talk to and before you say she has Jess, she said that Jess has a lot of guilt when it comes to you and Alice."

I remain quiet, but mull over what he just said over. Royce had said Alice and Jess both told him a lot in regards to my feelings for him. I think about Rosalie and all the things Royce told her. Who knows if Alice and Jess said any of those things, I only know what Alice and Jess have said to me.

One thing all three girls had in common was that they all believed what Royce had said about me. I close my eyes for a second hating the fact that Royce has controlled the narrative throughout this whole nightmare.

"Okay, you are hanging out with Brandon, anything else?" I ask, cutting this conversation short.

He shakes his head.

I lay out on the floor staring at the ceiling, I feel Jazz stretch out, following suit. That's how we spend the rest of the afternoon, silently baking.

Day 3

"You need to quit moping, kid," Charlie says, taking a sip of his coffee.

Christmas morning and I was miserable.

I missed Edward and was still brooding over the fact that he wouldn't be back for another three days.

We've texted but that was about it.

I knew he was busy with tying up loose ends in Chicago, but I couldn't stop feeling the separation anxiety.

"I'm fine," I mumble.

I opened up the envelope he just handed to me.

Billie Eilish tickets.

I could feel the smile creeping up on my face.

"Bet you weren't expecting those," he said with a smirk.

"Seriously?" I ask, feeling my excitement burst through me.

"I got you three tickets," he explains.

I knew I'd take Tanya and Jazz with me. Edward wasn't into her sound; he was a bit of a music snob. He liked Nirvana and Led Zeppelin, which weren't bad but definitely not what I was into.

"Thanks," I say, getting up to give him a hug.

"You've had quite the year, Bells. I want you to have the time of your life at this concert and be eighteen," he adds, giving me one last squeeze.

Dad had always been reasonable with me until I went off the rails after Royce. It felt good to know that I've earned his trust in me back.

My phone vibrates.

Santa leave you anything good? - E

I glance at the tree.

"Did Edward leave something for me?" I ask looking over to Dad.

"Not sure," he says with a twitch of his mustache.

I get up and inspect under the tree seeing absolutely nothing. When I stand I notice a small velvet box resting in the branches.

I reach for it, carefully opening the box.

A delicate white gold ring rests inside.

I pull it out knowing it would fit my pinky perfectly. I slide it on seeing I was right.

It wasn't flashy and I loved it.

"That looks nice," Charlie says.

I nod, reaching for my phone.

The ring is perfect, thank Santa for me? – B

Will do. – E

I got him a book for Christmas kind of as a joke for when we first met. Now it felt a little silly, I also wished I snuck it in his bag before he left.

I have something for you. – B

Something to look forward to when I get back. – E

I read his text over a few times wanting to ask him if his trip is going okay, but I think better about it. I knew he wasn't looking forward to seeing his father, but he wanted to say his piece. He wanted his father to know how much he has broken their relationship.

Three more days. – B

I usually don't worry but my text sends without a response.

Day 6

My alarm blares until I hit snooze on my phone.

I wipe my hand over my face, growing annoyed because I was supposed to pick Edward up in a few hours but don't have much to go on. His texts since Christmas morning have been nothing but short and disappointing to me.

I knew in my gut that something happened, but I wasn't sure what. Tanya tried to reassure me yesterday if something crazy had happened that her mother would have told her.

I decided to get up and shuffle downstairs for breakfast. Charlie had been leaving for work around six every morning so I knew for sure he wasn't around.

I scratch my leg as I look in the fridge for something to make.

We had bagels, eggs, and bacon so I went with making a sandwich. As I started to plate my sandwich there was a knock at the door.

Sighing, I pop my plate into the microwave to keep my food warm.

I can see Rosalie standing out on the porch once I'm in the foyer.

She looks nervous and unsure of herself.

I let out the breath I was holding while I opened the door.

I notice her jaw is no longer wired shut, she blinks at me but is the first to speak when she says, "Bella".

"Uh, hey," I say.

She's dressed in gray sweats which is a far cry from the way she's usually dressed. She's swimming in her clothes which makes me wonder if these are her sweats.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" she asks.

I nod, gesturing for her to come in.

She shuts the door behind her but neither of us makes the move to leave the foyer. I don't exactly feel comfortable inviting her into my home.

I only knew a little of the history between our mothers and I think that was mostly why Rosalie wasn't ever at any of my birthday parties or sleepovers growing up, so this was the first time she'd ever been in my house.

"So you wanted to talk?" I ask, brushing my foot against my calf.

"I gave my statement to Detective Diaz a few days ago," she says before looking at the ground.

"Oh," I say.

"Angela and Emmett McCarty encouraged me to come forward," she explains, looking up. "Emmett told me about what his brother saw that night."

I nod.

"Both of them, including my father, have told me you saved my life," she adds.

"I found you and did what was right," I say, brushing off the lifesaving part.

"Royce was very convincing in what he said about you, I saw you both at Prom and you both looked perfect together so when he said he dumped you because he had feelings for me I believed him. I assumed that I somehow won," she says quietly.

"I wasn't aware that we were in some kind of competition," I snapped, feeling my irritation get the best of me. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," she sighs. "I'm in therapy now, we talk a lot about my mother and the expectations she threw upon me. You were never aware of what your mother and she had been through but I definitely was. My mother would never shut up about you, I think that is where so much of my resentment of you came from. You got to be you, but I was some kind of a disappointment."

"Rosalie—"

"That night wasn't the first time he'd done what he did, he had been rough with me since we first started going out, it was the first time he shared me though," she explains. "I never had a guy interested in me before, I don't think I understood what he was doing was considered assault at first."

At that, I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

He truly was a monster.

"My mother tried to make me think that I should give in to him to keep him satisfied—" she says with a shudder. "Therapy and my dad have helped me see that she, in her own way, was abusing me also."

"Is your mom still at home?"

She shakes her head.

"My dad and I are moving to Seattle after the new year," she explains. "Fresh start."

"Oh—"

"I wanted to let you know about my statement and that I am so sorry for what I have done to you," she says. "Can we have a fresh start too?"

The hopeful look on her face breaks me.

I nod with tears in my eyes.

I was almost certain that Rosalie, even though intelligent, was naïve to the world around her, which made me feel more empathy toward her.

"I hope my statement helps keep him in jail for a long time," she says honestly.

"I think he will be locked away for quite some time," I responded.

Twenty-five years is the longest he can get but Charlie told me not to get my hopes up on that.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your day," she says, reaching for the doorknob.

"Thanks for stopping by," I say lamely, but she sends me a small smile.

I close the door behind her feeling lighter after talking to her. I pull away from the door when I see her pull out of the driveway.

I'm just about to enter the kitchen when there is another knock at the front door.

I turn around to see a disheveled Edward outside on the porch.