Disclaimer - I am not Stephenie Meyer !
A/N - Wow ! I didn't realise that so many people liked this story, thank you guys sooo much for all your reviews, and to the people who put this on story alert or favourite story, and me to author alert or favourite author ! Thanks again for all the birthday wishes ! I love you guys ! You rock !! Have cookies, on me !
Bella's point of view
"Oh God he can't be here," I thought as I stared at him, he was as beautiful as I'd remembered him. The hole was wide open again, like a wound, vicious and bleeding. Like acid poured on unprotected skin or salt rubbed rubbed into a fresh wound. The pain was unbearable.
Meeting all the Cullens again seemed nothing in comparison. My torso felt as if it was being ripped apart, the hole burning through me, the edges ragged, raw and acidic.
I tried to hold myself together, to patch myself together using my hands, but my efforts were useless, in vain, pointless. Nothing could stop this unbearable pain. I couldn't breathe, I'd stopped moments before, I tied to breathe but all that came out was a kind of strangled gasp.
Then I took off, my arms still wrapped around myself. I was vaguely aware of the icy rain lashing down on my already soaked body and of the trees flashing by as I ran.
I kept running, I couldn't stop, it was like I'd lost the control of my legs I had to keep running, I couldn't stop if I'd even tried. I had to get away from them, from him, from everyone.
The harsh rain pounded down, the wind whistled past my ears and I kept running. Until I collided with a tree, it didn't, couldn't, hurt me but it brought me to a standstill.
I slid down the tree, my back pressing against the rough bark of the tree, until I was sitting on the wet bracken of the forest floor.
My knees curled up tightly against my chest, my arms wrapped in an almost unbreakable hold around them. My head bowed of it's own accord against my knees, making me as small as possible. As I sat curled up there I couldn't think clearly, his face kept clouding my mind, his beautiful, flawless, perfect face…
Why is he here ? Why now ? Why the hell did I come back to Forks ? Stupid, stupid Bella ! How dumb was I to think that the pain would ease if I came back ? Why didn't I just stay in Oregon with Ciara, Jen and Lucy, the pain was dulled with them around, how much more could I expect ? I could never get over him, I realised, I would live forever but I could never move on. I couldn't control my breathing, my breaths were coming in rapid, shallow gasps. I tried to breathe normally, but this time my efforts were futile. Tearless broken sobs wracked my body, though I made no sound. All I could think was, "Not him, Why is he here ? Why now ?" Then I had a realisation, I could leave, I could ask Ciara, Jen and Lucy to pack up and leave. We could be gone by tomorrow morning. Sure, it was the cowardly way out, to run away rather than stay, but staying would mean seeing him every day, every single day. Seeing him happy and as much as I wanted him to be happy, I'd spent the last 95 years of my existence surviving solely on the belief that he was happy.
But that didn't mean that I had to wait around and watch him be happy with someone else.
My staying wouldn't be fair to him either, I decided.
If he even cared about me anymore, he'd probably feel guilty that I was changed. That was how he was, he shouldered the blame for everything. It wouldn't be fair for him to have to see me everyday, if that was the case. A reminder of that guilt.
Then again, maybe he was just visiting. Still, leaving would be better than having to see him on his visits to his family. The family I'd once dreamed of belonging to…
The sound of a twig snapping made me look up. I heard the faint rustle of leaves underfoot and I jumped to my feet.
There was no time to run, I hadn't heard the sounds of passage in time, I'd been too wrapped up in my thoughts. As I was standing there I had time to really take in my surroundings for the first time. I gasped when I realised where I was.
I was in the meadow.
The trees and grass were wet and dripping, but it had remained as it was when I'd last been there. The trees, though older and thicker now, still formed an almost perfect circle. The tall grass was still dotted with clumps of colourful wildflowers.
Then someone stepped into the clearing.
Him.
Edward.The walls that I'd built to contain the pain from hearing or even thinking his name crumbled, as I thought it, staring at him.
I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my composure as I looked at the only man I could ever love. I'd never been so glad that I wasn't human anymore, my heartbeat or blush would have given me away then, now I had neither. And I was thanking my lucky stars for that.
He was still so unbelievably beautiful. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.
He was staring too, his eyes betraying his obvious shock. "Bella," he murmured.
I took a deep breath, "Hello, Edward."
He crossed the meadow in a couple of long strides, stopping when he was about a foot in front of me.
"Bella," he breathed, "What, I mean how-" His voice turned anxious. His angels voice was like velvet, crushed velvet, rough and soft at the same time and filled with an emotion that I couldn't name.
"Didn't your family tell you ? Laurent-" I'd started to babble.
"Bella, I'm… I'm so sorry, I …" Then he stopped, staring into my eyes, a look of hunger in his. A hunger that I couldn't place.
I stared back, transfixed, hypnotised. I couldn't look away.
Then, before I could move away, he'd reached out and pulled me into his arms, his lips crashing against mine. I couldn't move.
I should have pulled away, but I couldn't.
His wonderful scent was assaulting my senses, clouding my mind. Just feeling his strong arms around me made me feel loved, wanted, whole.
His lips moved against mine hungrily, his arms pulling me tighter and tighter against him. I couldn't help myself, I kissed him back.
Because being there, in his arms, it was so easy to believe that he really wanted me.
A/N - Please leave a review ! I'll update tomorrow, but reviews motivate me to type faster !