Chapter 7: Goodbye Edward

Carlisle POV

As Bella and Jacob came in, I knew right away that Bella had something on her mind that she needed to tell me.

"Bella are you alright?" Esme asked as Bella walked into the room. I knew that Esme also could tell that Bella needed to tell us something.

"Actually, no I'm not. Look I love all of you and I know that you all are my family. But mom, dad, and even you Edward… well you all treat me like I'm a thin sheet of glass about ready to break. I feel that you all don't see me as a young adult, but rather the four-year-old child that I once was. Please you all need to let me grow and not worry about what might happen to me but rather let me make some mistakes that you all know that I will make. I mean Alice, Teddy, Pillow, Rose, and even Jacob doesn't treat me like a child." Bella said and I must say that for the first time in a long time I saw Bella not only as my child but also a smart brave young lady and I was proud of her for finally speaking her mind.

"So, you want us to let you get into trouble and not be there to help you out of it?" Edward asked with no sense of understanding where Bella was coming from.

"Edward, I don't think that, that is what Bella is saying at all." Esme said, for she too understood where Bella was coming from.

"Stay out of this Esme."

"Edward enough." I said in a stern voice. "You will not talk to your mother that way."

"She's not my real mother. You let my mother die years and I mean years ago. Why you chose to save me I'll never know." Edward snaped at me. I knew he was hurt by Bella's words. Though why I had no idea.

"Edward stop this please. I didn't mean to upset you. However, I couldn't hold this in any longer. I mean since you and I got together you've been smothering me with your protection. And though I love you, god I love you. And yet I don't love being smothered. I need to grow and become the person that I was meant to be. And I feel that I can't do that when you won't trust in me to do the right thing and make the right decisions. Please try to understand where I am coming from." Bella explained however by the look on Edward's face I knew that he was not taking what she was saying the right way.

"You want to get hurt and in trouble that's fine. But you can do it without me."

"Edward…" Bella said tears forming in her eyes.

"Bella don't let him go." Alice said.

"But…"

"It's for the best Bella. He'll come around in his own time." Jasper said trying to comfort Bella the best way that he knew how.

"Teddy don't use your powers on me please. I know that your heart is in the right place but I need to… to… my god what have I done."

Bella's POV

The next morning when I awoke I noticed that Edward was nowhere to be seen. In the pit of my stomach I knew that something was wrong. When I went into the kitchen, I heard everyone talking about Edward and how he left the house in the middle of the night.

"Mom? Dad? Where's Edward?" I asked however, I already knew he had left me and it was all my fault.

"Bella why don't you sit down." My father said as he pulled out a chair for me to sit on.

"No please tell it to me straight. He left because of me, didn't he?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes.

"Oh sweety…" My mom started to say but what shocked me was that she didn't finish her thought.

"I better get ready for school. It's supposed to rain all day so Alice, Rose can you two help me pick out an outfit?"

"Sure Bella but…"

"No but's Alice. I lost Edward once and was able to get over it. I mean it's what he does. He's there one minute and then gone the next. I can't live like this with him. So, I'll move on. Now with that being said it's time to get ready for school. Are you going to help me or just stand there looking at me with surprise in your eyes?"

"We'll help you Bella. Come on Alice."

With that I once again started to live my life without Edward. Did I love him… yes with all my heart but my heart can only take so much. So, for now I have to harden my heart against everyone who can hurt me.