I do not own Twilight.
Thank you, SunflowerFran, for betaing! Remaining mistakes are mine.
oOo
After Bella had slept until noon in the room of her childhood, she had had a long talk with her mum. Renee had tears in her eyes when she heard about Edward's condition. Her own father had been an alcoholic, and it had destroyed her parents' marriage when she'd been a teenager.
"You've got to leave him," she whispered, "or he'll pull you down with him. I can already see it. You're losing weight, and you're pale and unhappy…"
"But, Mum, I love him. I really do. There must be some way to…" She let out a frustrated sigh. "He's a difficult man, I admit that. But I do love him, and I'm not leaving him."
"The problem with addicts, Bella, is that they need to want to get better. Do you think this is the case with Edward?"
Bella was silent for a moment.
"He's been hiding it from you so he can go on doing it," Renee said. "Sometimes, people need to fall as deeply as possible to realize they need to change. To accept help."
"What am I going to do, Mum?" Bella was crying again.
"Stay away from him for a few days. Like your father said, go to Brighton with Leah, take Jackie, too. Think about what you want. You're so young, baby girl, and you have your whole life before you. Are you ready to bind yourself to somebody with those kinds of problems?"
At that moment, Jackie entered the kitchen with a loud, "Yay, we're going to Brighton, sistaaaa!"
She was wearing a pink dress and pink plastic sandals. Bella had to laugh in spite of herself.
"Maybe you're right," she finally said.
Maybe she really needed to get her head free of Edward for a few days.
Leah had already arranged a room at a B&B, and would be coming over at three to collect the other girls, which left little time for Bella to go back to the house and collect some things.
Edward was in their bed, dead to the world, and despite her declarations to her mother, Bella began to feel angry again.
How could such a beautiful, gifted, sweet-hearted man be such an idiot? Why was he throwing everything away with his self-destructive ways?
Why couldn't he see himself clearly?
She shook her head and placed a kiss on his warm shoulder. Then, she packed a duffle bag.
Before leaving, she wrote him a note and placed it on her pillow.
"Silly man," she whispered, kissing him again. Edward didn't stir.
.
"Charles? Um hi, this is Edward, Edward Cullen." He was nervous, feeling stupid for not knowing where Bella was. Wasn't it his job to take care of her? What a dickhead of a boyfriend he was proving to be.
"Hi, Edward. What can I do for you?"
The other man's voice was detached, but he didn't seem surprised to be hearing from Edward.
"I'm sorry to be calling so late. I'm… actually, I'm worried about Bella. Her mobile is off, and I haven't heard from her all day… I was wondering…"
"She's gone to Brighton, Edward, with her sister and Leah."
"Wha – What?"
"She said she'd left you a message when she was at the house earlier to pack some things. Since you seemed to be indisposed."
Edward swallowed.
What was Bella's father saying? What message? And why was he sounding so hostile?
"Um, Charles, I'm sorry, but… what is going on here?"
"It's not my place to tell, Edward. I guess you should read her message."
"Uh… Um, yeah, okay. Um, thanks."
Bella often left him messages on her pillow, but this morning… well, afternoon, he hadn't paid any attention because he'd felt like a zombie.
Edward rushed upstairs.
oOo
See, Bella isn't quite as heartless as some of you thought…