Ok, it's 3:30 AM here so I am gonna keep this short!

Reviewers:

Kat Smith - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, cutie! :D Thank you! I did quite well on my tests.

GraceEllingson - Aww, here's the part 2 to mend you broken heart! Enjoy sweets!

"Make sure he doesn't put metal containers in the microwave, he does it with the sauces." Bella listed off, as I folded the clothes I'd brought with me to Florida back in my duffel bag.

"Also, remember to give him fish in the week at least twice, I mean, he fishes nearly every weekend, you'll need to finish the supply somehow." She continued but I was already moving, wrapping my arms around her slender shoulder and squeezing tightly.

"I'll miss you Bells," I whispered.

There was a pause in which she just stayed in my arms before she was sniffling. I pulled back to see her eyes watering and her lower lip trembling, red roses blooming across the apples of her ever blushing cheeks and the tips of her ears.

"Oh, come on," I said, pulling her in tighter again and this time she wrapped her long arms around me, squeezing back as tightly.

"I'll miss you too, T, so much, so, so much," she whispered.

I could feel her pearly tears start to fall and wet the fabric of my t-shirt and felt tears pool in my own eyes. This girl that I had only known for something over a year was making me cry because I'd miss her slightly klutzy, big brown eyes gazing at me and her motherly persona that I knew would be waiting for me to melt into at home.

I pulled away again to look at her. "There's so much I have to say, Bells. I don't even know where to begin." I whispered. "You're my best friend, my first friend. I just…I know there are a few things about you that drives me up the wall but…damn, I love you and I'm going to miss you. A ton, don't get another best friend, ok?" I asked.

She giggled, shaking her head.

"Of course I won't. You'll be my best friend forever. Who else is going to stand taking care of me anyway?" she rolled her eyes and I shoved playfully. She laughed out loud as she turned and like the mother hen she was, started to fold my clothes and put them in the bag for me.

As I stared at her, long brown hair that flowed to her waist and eyes that were glassy and yet so inquisitive, I felt my heart squeeze.

I wasn't going to see her again for a very long time and it scared me. There hadn't been a time in my time here in the Twilight world that Bella Swan had not been there for me or around me. She was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes. Now, she was moving on, to college, then a job, and then if Stephen and I were still here she'd probably marry Stephen and have beautiful kids…a normal family.

Whereas I, the person who was supposed to have the normal life; would be still there, my own life forever at a standstill…

I was happy for her. I couldn't possibly be bitter towards Bella but as she turned and handed me my packed bag and wound an arm around me to lead me downstairs, I wondered if there might be a time when I could move forwards from this point of constant inner conflict and my feelings…or even maybe resolve the distance between me and Edward and his family…

The ride back to Forks was quiet, seeing as both Charlie and I weren't chatty if we didn't need to be.

I had my head against the window of the passenger seat, able to see each of the glances Charlie threw my way. Finally, with a sigh I turned to look at now my guardian.

"What's up, Charlie?" I asked.

He looked embarrassed at having been caught but adopted poker face quickly.

"I had a conversation with Renee before we left." He muttered.

"That doesn't sound very comforting." I teased lightly and he bit his lips, trying to hide the quirk of a smile.

"It wasn't…" he sighed finally before placing both hands on the wheel, kneading at it slightly. "She told me to take very good care of you…you know, now that Bella's gone to college and you're staying, I should give you more attention." He said.

I frowned at that.

"Charlie you take care of me enough. You can't hover over me, you know that." I told him and he nodded.

"It's just that they feel I should know you better if I want to act as your guardian. We should talk." He continued. "We do talk," I mumbled.

"Not enough…so tell me…how you have been?" he asked weakly and I could see his throat work.

"Charlie…you're going to burst a nerve cell." I laughed and he rolled his eyes.

"Renee said she's worried about you and Edward." He said.

I closed my eyes, clenching them shut. "Oh god," I groaned.

"Don't be like that. We're just worried about you." he consoled.

I pursed my lips, knowing he was right. Bella had taken me aside on the pretext of getting a new hair cut and while I'd been having my hair chopped off, she had tried to ask me if I planned to surprise Edward. Renee had even taken me to the movies only to point out how stupid arguments could lead to the demise of a relationship. I appreciated the sentiment but they had no clue what they were up against.

"It's nothing Charlie; we just have disagreements, just like any couple does." I said.

"You and I both know your disagreements are not like any other couples." He said, making me look at him curiously. Charlie sighed.

"I have been in normal relationships, Tulika. Even if it was just once in my life," he pursed his lips once, "but I'll tell you that normal couples fight about things verbally – screaming matches, petty arguments, whatever – but you and Edward have never struck me as a normal couple, even when you introduced him to me. He's so focused and sharp about everything…especially you. He's oddly fixated on you, almost as if you would vanish if he so much as blinked."

I looked straight ahead, not wanting him to see the look on my face. Of course, Edward looked like that…

"You both are so intense around each other. He's always acting as if he would jump in front of a bullet for you. It was unnerving how devoted he is to you. If I didn't know the boy, I would've been worried that you were seeing a stalker."

I laughed out loud at that. Oh man, if only Charlie knew the half of it…

"That's not to say I still don't worry. I have never seen you talk a fight out before. It's like you two argue, give each other the silent treatment for a long time and then out of the blue you're both back to being smoothly together. You need to learn to communicate, honey. A relationship will run out of passion and fire if you keep using it up. Try talking to him." He said.

"Even if I did nothing wrong?" I asked, knowing fully that that was not true. In this case, maybe there was more my fault that his.

Charlie snorted.

"I think the boy apologizes more that you ever have, you know. Like I said, he's run through poison ivy buck naked for you."

I cringed the sudden image of a naked Edward covered in swollen rashes out my head before smiling at my guardian.

"I will, thanks Charlie. You did well." I whispered.

I caught him puffing his moustache in relief as I looked back out the window.

"We checked out the dorms last week and they were thankfully decent…I mean, I cannot and will not handle a dorm room with only those communal shower things. It is so unhygienic and invasive." Lauren said as she picked up her glass of coke to take a swig.

"Yeah, Lauren was about to go nuts but then we saw the rooms had private bathroom. Now it's about if her roommate sheds," Mike chortled, earning a smack from the girl as they sat next to each other, his arm slung over her shoulders.

Since Jess, Bella and Eric had already left to get settled into their universities, Mike and Lauren had decided to hold a small party so the rest of us; Stephen, Ben, Angela, Edward and I could get together one last time before they left too.

Everyone except Edward was there as I sat between Stephen and Angela; smiling softly as they made plans of a future I was likely not going to be a part of.

"We saw our Dorms too this week…guess who has the farthest complex while her boyfriend has the closest?" Angela nudged Ben mockingly and he let out a loud scoff.

"Oh please, we both know you'll be staying over almost all the time." He said positively as Lauren turned to me.

"Where's Edward, T?" she asked.

"Oh he's just busy…helping Alice with something." I mumbled, picking up my own glass to drink the beverage in it as I felt multiple eyes fix on me, including my best friend with something akin to amusement.

"I can't believe it. Cullen's like stuck to you with glue, isn't he?" Mike said.

"Yeah sure, but sometimes the glue wears off, Mike. Do you hang off of Lauren all the time?" I asked sweetly.

"Oh he wishes," Lauren snorted, effectively ending Mike's questions as Stephen leaned forward a little to look into my eyes as he reached for his glass.

I avoided his eyes as even Angela turned to me.

"Have you both decided on a college yet? Are you going to that Italian college?" Angela asked.

I froze as unbidden Alec's face rose up in my mind before I was shaking it away.

"Maybe, I don't know yet. We're going to take a year off, see what other choices open up, so we have our options open." I said.

"Man, if I had Italian scouts coming for me, I'd jump them like this." Ben snapped his fingers.

"Makes sense that they came for the Cullen lot…I don't mean anything by it, T." Mike said, adding in the last part hastily when we all turned to look at him with varying emotions.

"Of course, she got scouted, Mike," Lauren said, frowning before she looked at me.

"Don't listen to him; he's just jealous he had to get waitlisted." She muttered before they started bickering again.

We took that as our cue to leave.

"Are you really not going to go to Italy again?" Stephen asked quietly, moving me out of my reverie as he drove me back home.

"Is there a reason for me to go back?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I thought maybe now that you know about Alec, you'd want…you know, get to know him a bit more." He said.

I frowned. "I love Edward, Steph." I said.

"I said just to get to know the guy…don't marry him just yet, like…it wouldn't hurt, you know."

"He said he'd wait for me, Stephen. Going back would mean that I'm leading him on and I don't want to do that. He doesn't deserve that and neither does Edward. Also, if I go back I'm pretty sure Aro will find some way to make it permanent. He cares more about Alec than my free will. If Alec slacks because he's stressed about us, it won't help anyone." I mumbled.

"I understand. What about college though?" he asked.

I turned to look at him.

"You can go if you want, Stephen. I just…I feel like I have to get through a couple things before I can face something like college."

"You want to find out about what we're doing here and Sorenson, don't you?" he asked.

I shot him a grateful smile which he returned.

"Well, I'm going to be right there. Partner in crime," he said.

"Yeah, partners in crime," I agreed.

The sea breeze brushed across my face, salty and yet sweet as I withheld the urge to spread out my arms and fall into the water but I didn't want Jacob to have to transform and dive in after me if I happened to drown again.

Jacob had brought me to the cliffs where he and the other boys used to cliff-dive from and now he was sprawled on the grass while I basked in the cool air.

"Would you not stand so close to the edge? I'm getting an itch just seeing you there." He said finally.

I rolled my eyes but took a step back anyway. "I wasn't that close." I said as I flopped down beside him.

"If you fell, Cullen and Stephen would have my head on a platter and Charlie would burn my remains." He grumbled, making me shove him.

"Don't be mean to me; you brought me here. We could've just sat in your garage." I pointed out.

"What's the point? I'm always there or in the woods, let me have some fresh air too," he said, lying back again. I sighed, standing up and dusting off my jeans.

"Do you mind if I walk around a bit? I won't be far." I said.

He opened an eye. "Alright, I'll find you. I'll take a small nap." He said, closing his eye again.

"Don't get eaten." I said as I walked back down land, only hearing him let out a snort.

I spent at least fifteen minutes walking the beach shore before I reached the small path that led towards the inner cabins of the tribe.

"Tulika?" I heard the quiet call of my name and stopped, looking around to find myself in front of a familiar cottage with trimmed lawns and bunches of flowers around the fences.

A girl leant over the gate, a curious smile playing around her slim lips.

"Emily…hey!" I beamed hurrying over to give her a hug as she wrapped her arms around my form too.

"It's been a while! Come on in!" she said, opening the gate and ushering me in. "Are you here by yourself?" she asked.

"Oh no, Jake brought me but he's napping at the cliffs and I walked away." I told her.

"Oh yeah, he told me about bringing you around. How are you? How was Italy?" she asked.

"Um…blah," I said, waving my hands as she sat us at her tiny dining table. "Anything I can help you with?" she asked.

"Not really, unless you can tell me how to win back my troublesome boyfriend." I sighed.

"Edward again?" she smiled.

"Yeah, I don't know if he's jealous or just plain annoyed at me now."

"Have you asked him?" she asked.

"I have! He just…avoids the question." I said.

Emily smiled softly, looking down at the table. "Have you may be considered that he feels like he's be making you jealous and angry if he spoke out the truth about how he feels?" she asked.

"Why would I be jealous or angry? I wouldn't be asking if I'd get mad," I said.

"Men are strange; even if they are of the supernatural variety. I would suggest you go and talk to him and let him know that him sparing your feelings is in no way helping your relationship. If him keeping himself bottled is just driving you apart then what's the point of him doing it?" she asked.

I stared at her wide eyed before I smiled widely, standing up.

"Emily you are a genius."

Hehehehehehehehehehehe

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