CHAPTER 1

BELLA'S POV

TWO DAYS EARLIER.

I'm barely holding myself together. I can't get the sight of the last time I saw Edward out of my mind.

FLASHBACK

We were having a wonderful family day in the clearing playing baseball. Even though there was a storm brewing in more ways than one, this was the most fun I've had in my entire life.

Esme decided, for me not to get hurt, I should be the umpire. The teams were evenly matched. Esme, Carlisle, and Edward on one team, with Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett on the other.

"Call them like you see'em, Bella," Esme said.

"She thinks we cheat," Emmett said with his booming laugh.

"I know YOU cheat, Emmett," I said laughing and gave Esme a wink. She smiled sweetly back at me.

I marveled at how far and hard they hit the ball, and at the sound of the crack as the ball made contact with the bat. No wonder they needed a thunderstorm to play, I thought to myself.

Again, we were having a wonderful time, when suddenly the game stopped. Alice was enthralled by a vision. Edward was the first one to reach me, having read in Alice's mind what she saw.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I didn't see them in time. They're coming fast; it's too late to run; they will be here in less than 30 seconds," Alice said hurriedly. The others were all crouched in front of me in less than that time.

"Pull your hair down, Bella. It will help cover your scent," Edward told me. I hurriedly pulled my hair out of its low ponytail and fingered it around my neck. The Ice Queen, Rosalie, gave me a sneer.

"Like that will help, I can smell her from across the field," Rosalie scoffed. I quickly gave her the finger. She gave me a soft smile and a wink. I reflected the smiled back at her. I knew that was just Rosalie's nature, and I stopped taking it personally a while ago. She quickly found out I could give back as much as she gave me. We became quick friends.

Soon enough, a trio of dirty, scraggly looking vampires, with striking red eyes emerged from the tree line. The dark-skinned one with dreadlocks spoke first.

"I am Laurent. This is James and Victoria. We were passing through, heard your game, and thought maybe we could join in. There was something in his eyes that told me he was lying. But, of course, I didn't say a word. I would not give away the fact that I was human. It was something about the way the one with the long blond ponytail kept looking at Alice.

Carlisle stepped forward. "Laurent is it? Well, this territory is taken; we have a permanent residence here. If you would, please, leave the area, without feeding, we would be most grateful," Carlisle said, always the consummate diplomat.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know the territory was claimed. We'll be on our way then, but do you think you could indulge us just one game?" Laurent asked. I could tell he was intrigued by the idea of no longer being a nomad.

"I'm afraid our family was just leaving," Carlisle said. Just as the words left his mouth, the wind picked up. I could feel it blowing my hair and around my neck. The three nomads hissed as they sniffed my scent in the air. The ponytailed one, which I later learned to be James, finally looked away from Alice, directly into my eyes.

"I see you brought a snack," James finally spoke, his lips turned up into a snarling smirk. My vampire family was already on the defensive and crouched to attack. Laurent held his arm out towards James as if to hold him back.

"We're sorry. There is no need to attack; we will take our leave and be on our way." Laurent and the woman turned to leave, but James lingered for a moment, he and Edward, apparently having a silent conversation. Edward was snarling, and I could tell ready to rip James' head off. Finally, James turned and ran towards the rest of his coven.

Edward finally slung me on his back, and we turned with the rest of his family and headed back to our cars and trucks.

Once we made it back to Emmett's Jeep, Edward was trying frantically to get me buckled in while Emmett drove.

"You can't go back to your house. James is a tracker. He considers this a game. We have to get you out of here," Edward told me.

There was a debate about who should take me. Edward and I did not want to leave each other's side. We went to my house briefly to pack a bag, while Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice waited outside. Edward gathered clothes from my dirty clothes hamper and stuffed them into another bag. I went to question, but Edward only put a finger over his lips to silence me.

When we made it back to the Cullen mansion, what was finally decided was that Edward would take me away and the rest of the family would hunt James. The dirty laundry had more of my scent and would be used as a decoy, as the women lured James and the rest on a wild goose chase.

Laurent decided he'd had enough of James' games and was intrigued by the Cullens' lifestyle. We were surprised to find him with Carlisle and Esme when we returned. Carlisle sent him off to be with relatives in Alaska.

Edward and I took off for Phoenix. We took Carlisle's Mercedes. His car's windows were deeply tinted and more conducive for the Phoenix sun. We figured it was sunny enough there that James wouldn't risk coming there.

A few days after we arrived in Phoenix, Edward received a phone call from the family, that James gave them the slip. They were on their way to Phoenix. While he was talking to his family, I received a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. But when I answered the call, the sound on the other end had my blood-curdling.

"BELLA, BELLA, where are you?" were the frantic cries from my mom. Then I heard James' voice.

"Since I can't have you, I think mommy dearest will make the perfect snack. Come to your old ballet studio, and I will let mommy go," James said to me. I immediately hung up. Edward was so frantic with worry and listening to his family, luckily, he didn't hear my phone call.

We soon left our hotel to pick the rest of the family up at the airport. While he went to secure a rental car, I told him I needed to use the bathroom. I took that opportunity to sneak away from Edward.

As soon as I stepped into the ballet studio, I knew it was a trick. In the back of my mind, I knew that anyway. There was no way he was going to let my mom go, even if I came. But when I heard the exact same cries as I heard over the phone, I knew I'd made a mistake. James had taken an old VHS tape from my house of when I took ballet as a child and used the recording to trick me.

As soon as I realized this, I turned to make a run for it. Edward must have been hot on my heels because as soon as I turned, I ran straight into Edward.

"Go outside Bella, the rest of the family will be here soon," Edward said as he pushed me towards the door. Then in a blur, Edward was attacking James.

This was all my fault. If I'd just stayed with Edward, never left his side, this wouldn't have happened. I couldn't leave him now. But what I saw will be etched in my memory forever.

Even though Edward managed to rip off one of James' hands and a leg, when I saw James bite a chunk out of Edward's neck and then rip his head off, I let out a blood-curdling scream. I was running towards them as James pulled out a lighter. He smiled a sadistic smirk at me, while he set the love of my life alight. I was stopped by a pair of cold hands holding me. I turned into Carlisle's arms. The look on Carlisle's face was murderous. I'd never seen him like this in the year and a half I'd come to know him. He left me in Alice's arms as he and Emmett attacked James.

Everyone says they don't blame me, but I blame myself. Everyone except Rosalie that is. Though, she hasn't outright said it because she hasn't spoken to me since the funeral. I think it made Esme feel good to plan such an elaborate funeral for Edward. Carlisle was just numb. I've cost him his first reborn son, his first companion in this life. I've come into their lives, and in just a year and a half, I've ruined everything.

Later, they told me Alice saw me leaving and tried to warn Edward, but it was too late, I'd already gone.

One day, when the family went on a hunting trip, I decided to visit our meadow. The one Edward and I used to get away and be alone. It was no longer the same without him here. So, I got back in my truck and started driving. I parked at the entrance to one of the cliffs where I'd seen the Rez boys go cliff diving. The pain was too much. Before I realized what I was doing, I hit the water.

There, amid the water, was my Edward, waiting for me. I reached out to touch his face. I was finally going to join him when I was yanked away. I came to, with my best friend, Jacob, leaning over me, pressing his massive hands on my chest and breathing air into my lungs. He then wrapped me into his big strong arms.

"Bella, I don't know what you were thinking, but please don't ever do that again," he said with a look of pain written on his face.

"I didn't mean to, I promise. I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was just standing there and the next thing I knew, I was hitting the water," I told him huskily. My throat was raw and dry from the salt water.

"Where are the leeches? I thought they were supposed to be looking out for you?" he asked angrily.

"They went for a hunt. I just came up here to think," I told him.

"Bella, why don't you come to the reservation? We're your true family. You know that." Jacob was asking me for the millionth time.

"I can't; you know that," I told him also for the millionth time.

C'mon, I'll take you home. You need to get out of those wet clothes," he said as he helped me up from the wet sand. We went to my truck and Jacob drove me home. Jacob was my best friend. He was my personal sun, even if Edward was my everything else. But I couldn't betray my dad.

END FLASHBACK

That was two weeks ago. Now my vampire family and I were leaving Forks. Everyone was ready for the move. The memories were just too great for everyone to get past. Even though Carlisle and Esme said they still considered me their daughter, I felt I caused them too much pain and suffering.

I pulled out my phone and called Jacob.

"Hey Bells, how are you feeling?" he asked as soon as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Jake, could you come over? I just need some company."

"What, your leech family away again?" he huffed into the phone.

"No, they are at the mansion. Can't I just spend some time with my best friend before we leave?" I asked him.

"Sure, sure, Bells. Give me ten minutes, and I will be right over," Jacob said and hung up the phone.

I went downstairs and grabbed a couple of the boxes the family brought over for me to pack my things. I pulled out my suitcase as well. I couldn't make a decision without Alice seeing. I began packing the things in my bedroom into the boxes.

As soon as I heard Jacob's Rabbit pull up into the driveway, I grabbed my suitcase and began throwing clothes into it. It would only take Alice a few minutes to realize my future went black and would be calling. I grabbed my passport and wallet with my cash, credit and debit cards, threw them into my purse, before hauling the suitcase I packed down the stairs.

"What the fuck, Bella?" Jake said as he came into the house seeing me dragging my suitcase. He instantly grabbed it.

"Go, get in the car," I told Jacob. He ran to the car throwing the suitcase into the back seat. I jumped into the car, and Jacob took off like a bat out of hell.

"You wanna tell me what's going on? Why are you running and where are we going?" Jacob asked me with concern written on his face.

"You're taking me to the airport. I just need to get away from the family. I just need to think and time to grieve. I couldn't make the decision to leave until you were around. Alice has visions; it was the reason the family thought I died when you pulled me out of the ocean. My future comes up black, whenever I'm around any of you wolves. So, I needed you here to make the decision to leave, without her seeing."

"Bella, do you just need time or have you changed your mind about becoming one of them?"

"Yes, no, I don't know. That's why I need time to think. Look, Jake, I feel like I've ruined their family. If it weren't for me, Edward would still be with us. Even though Carlisle hasn't said so, I know he only took me in because of some weird devotion to Charlie."

"Bella, you don't have to run, if you just need time to think. You can come to…" I cut him off.

"Please Jake, not that again. We've been through this."

"Then why don't you go back to your mother's…?" I nearly growled at Jake's last words.

"I will not go back to that lying, manipulative bitch! She kept me away from Charlie all these years. She denied me from knowing my father until it was too late. All I know about Charlie is that he spent a lifetime looking for us. I also know that if it weren't for him being friends with Carlisle, and Carlisle putting him in touch with a good attorney, I would never have known he even existed."

"You never told me that, Bella."

"Carlisle told me. Carlisle used to assist in cases where a medical examiner was needed. They became friends, and Charlie told Carlisle how he admired the way he raised his children. Charlie also told Carlisle about me, how his ex-wife left with me when I was two, and he'd spent almost all his resources looking for me. Carlisle put him in touch with his lawyer, as well as a good investment banker. Charlie finally found us in Florida, when he was killed. That was how the attorney knew where to contact me." My phone started to ring just as I finished my explanation. I looked at the caller ID, and sure enough, it was Alice. I let it go to voicemail. Jacob drove us in a comfortable silence, other than my phone ringing every two minutes. I finally turned it off, took the battery out and chucked it out the window.

"How are you going to let me know you're safe?" Jacob asked.

"I'll buy a burner phone in the airport. As soon as I get to where I'm going, I'll call you," I told Jacob. Soon we were at the airport. I instructed him to park in short-term parking and walk me into the airport. I knew once Jake left the Cullens would know where I was and where I was going. We walked to the departures board and saw there was a flight to Las Cruces, New Mexico leaving in time for me to buy a ticket, make it through security and down to the boarding gate in time to make my flight. Thank God, for the investment banker Carlisle hooked Charlie up with. Because of that, I was left with more than enough money, along with Charlie's pension. I bought two tickets, so Jake could go with me through security and wait with me until my flight left. After security, I stopped at a cell phone store, purchased a prepaid phone and gave Jake the number. Once they called my flight, I hugged Jake, told him I'd call as soon as I landed and said goodbye to my friend.