Chapter 2

The sky overhead was its usual cloudy gray when Bella stumbled off the plane at the Port Angeles Regional Airport. It must have rained a little, too, because the staircase was still slightly wet. She had to pay close attention to make sure she wouldn't trip and fall on her face. Unfortunately, she did anyway.

Luckily for her, someone was there at the bottom to catch her before the concrete came to greet her. She looked up and smiled widely at the hulking figure before her. "Hey, Emmet!"

He chuckled. "Good thing I was here to catch you. Edward would've murdered me if you came home with a black eye again."

Bella rolled her eyes heavenward. "That was one time," she reminded him. "And speaking of Deadward, where is he? He couldn't have picked me up himself?"

He just grinned in reply and she groaned. "I don't want to know, do I?"

"Nope."

The hour-long ride back to Forks was spent discussing Emmett's college plans. He and Rosalie were going to University of Washington in late August. Bella worried about the two of them going to the same college; she knew that the only reason Emmett was going to University of Washington was for Rosalie, but she just couldn't find the heart to tell them that they weren't going to last the first semester of college. However, that didn't stop her from telling Edward how she felt.

"They're not going to make it," Bella told him sadly one night when they were trudging through their history homework. "High school relationships rarely make it past graduation. People change once they get to college and they're no exception. Rose and Em are going to hate each other by the end of their first semester."

Edward chuckled. "Come on, Bells. Quit being such a downer. They're more than just high school sweethearts. They're perfect for each other."

Bella shook her head, but didn't say anything further. She knew that there was no such thing as soul mates, but try as she might to convince him, she couldn't get him to agree.

"You know, I'm glad that you're finally home, kid," Emmett said after a brief silence. "Edward's been getting more annoying than usual."

Bella laughed. "I missed him a lot," she confessed as she stroked her necklace. "My mom wouldn't eat the olives from my salad and she wouldn't let me take her croutons either."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Kid, when are you going to realize that you're in love with him? This is starting to get ridiculous."

She sighed. This wasn't the first time he brought up the subject of her nonexistent romantic feelings for Edward. "Emmett, I've already told you—"

"And I've already told you that you can't see it because you're in it. But you can't stay away from him for very long without feeling incomplete. You hate seeing other girls flirt with him, even though you know he won't say yes to any of them. You can't ever turn your emotions off when it comes to him."

"That's because he's my best friend," she argued. "And I don't hate it when girls flirt with him just because they're flirting with him. I hate it because they always act so fake around him. Edward deserves to be with a girl who's not afraid to be herself when she's around him."

"Oh, like his best friend?"

Bella rolled her eyes and turned her gaze to the flashing greenery passing her by.

She couldn't really say that she missed Forks. It had been so nice to be in a place with actual blue skies with sun that shone over a land not overrun with weeds. And it was wonderful to be with her mother. She couldn't help but worry about Renee constantly. The woman could hardly remember to feed herself, much less pay her bills. It made Bella wonder how she managed. She tried to help as much as she could, but there was only so much she could do without physically being with her.

At least she wouldn't have to worry as much for the next month. She had taken care of as much as she could before she had to leave for Forks once again: she made sure the house payments and bills were paid, as well as stocked the refrigerator with enough heat-and-go meals to last her at least six weeks. The inability to make edible food was one of the most worrying aspects of her mother's personality.

But as much as Renee physically needed her, Edward invested so much of himself emotionally in her that it was impossible to tear her away from him for very long. Bella knew him better than his own family. She knew what he was thinking at all times. She knew the trivial and the important aspects of his personality and his being. She comforted him when he cried, she got him to breathe when he paced, and she listened when he talked. She was the one person in his life that he could go to for anything, no matter what and she didn't want to imagine what would happen if she were to ever separate herself from Edward for any extended period of time.

And if she were going to be perfectly honest, she needed him as well. There had never been anyone in her life that hadn't left her at least once before. Her mother had fled to Arizona after the divorce and her father…well her father was technically still there, but distant. Ever since Renee left, he had become an empty shell of the man he once had been. Every night was spent in front of the television with a beer, letting the alcohol burn away all of his pain. When no one else stayed, Edward did. He was the only one who took care of her unspoken emotional needs. He kept her grounded and sane.

The Cullen mansion finally loomed into view and the sight brought an automatic smile to her face. She would see her best friend for the first time since the beginning of the summer in—

"Three," Emmett muttered, "two…one…"

Right on cue, Edward barreled out the front door and to Emmett's Jeep Wrangler. He wrenched the passenger door open and pulled Bella out of her seat.

"Bells!" he shouted jubilantly.

She laughed in spite of herself and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pecked him on the cheek. "I missed you too."

"Let me at her," a high-pitched soprano voice demanded. Edward reluctantly released Bella and a tiny girl with short black hair launched herself at the taller girl with the force of a cannonball.

"Oof!" grunted Bella. "Hey, Alice."

"Bella, I'm so glad you're home!" she cried.

"Me too," Bella replied with a grin. Alice's exuberance was the infectious kind.

A tall, blond guy approached more slowly than the other two, but with the same wide smile. "Hey, Bells. I'd give you a hug, but it looks like you've got your arms full."

"Hey, Jazz," Bella answered with warmth coloring her tone. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Carlisle and Esme followed Jasper from out of the house and grinned at the happy reunion. "Hello, Bella," Emse greeted softly. Alice finally released Bella and Esme came forward for her turn. "It's so nice to have you back home, dear."

"How was your flight?" Carlisle asked.

"It was fine. Kind of long," Bella said with a noncommittal shrug.

Edward laughed and Bella grimaced. Of course he could tell that she wasn't telling the whole truth. Despite the numerous times he claimed that he was always so unsure of what she was thinking, he still read her better than anyone else.

When Esme finally released the girl, Edward pulled Bella to him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We have a surprise for you."

Bella scowled. "Of course you do," she muttered under her breath.

Edward laughed. Bella had an intense dislike for surprises and had spent the great majority of her childhood watching over her shoulder, since Alice rather loved them.

The six of them led her around the huge white house out toward the garage. When they approached, Emmett punched in the code to the door. It slowly lifted to reveal Rosalie standing next to a huge, old-fashioned Chevy truck in her blue, grease-stained jumpsuit with a proud smile on her face.

Bella's jaw dropped to the ground when she finally recognized her car. "Oh my God, you guys!" she shouted as she ran toward it. "Tell me you didn't!"

Jasper chuckled. "Well, we knew you weren't going to let us buy you a new car, so we decided to fix up your old one."

"I believe the proper term is, 'we pimped your ride,'" Carlisle said.

Emmett's booming laughter echoed off the trees. "How the heck do you know that?"

Carlisle's eyes twinkled and he grinned in a way that would have devastated any lesser woman within a twenty-yard radius. "Just because I'm older doesn't mean I'm not down with the lingo. I know what all the gangsters be saying."

Alice grimaced. "Please, Dad, don't ever do that again."

Bella, however, was too absorbed in the beauty of her newly restored truck to pay attention to anything else. She ran her hands over the glossy, candy red paint with an expression of pure ecstasy. All the dents had been taken out, so it looked amazing. She could only imagine how well it ran now.

As if reading her mind, Rosalie dangled the car keys in front of Bella's face. "Want to give it a spin?"

She didn't need to ask twice. Bella grabbed the keys and jumped into the driver's seat. Edward climbed into the passenger's side as she turned the ignition. The engine hummed quietly and Bella grinned from ear to ear. Before, her truck would roar to life, alerting anyone within a fifty-foot vicinity.

"I can't believe you guys," she murmured joyously. "Seriously, it's like new! I bet I can make it go past sixty now!"

Edward chuckled. "That's not even the best part." He reached forward and turned on the radio. Gladys Knight and the Pips blared through speakers she didn't even know she had with stunning clarity.

Bella gasped once she noticed her brand new car stereo. "How did you know?" She had been considering buying herself a new one before the start of the school year with the Christmas money she was saving.

"Bells, when are you going to realize that I know all?"

She rolled her eyes in return, but didn't say anything. It didn't feel proper insulting him after he and his entire family had worked so hard to make her truck look and run like new.

Edward laughed at her expression. "When you told me that Renee got you an iPod for an early birthday gift, we thought it would be a good idea to get you a car stereo that could let you play it." He pulled out the chord that would attach to her brand new mp3 player from the glove compartment.

"You guys are amazing."

She drove the truck out to the main roads and drove around a bit, admiring the smoothness of the ride. Bella figured that Rosalie must have done a lot to the engine and replaced the tires or something, because it certainly didn't ride like this in the past.

Ten minutes later, Bella was pulling back onto the Cullen property. She climbed out of her newly restored truck, beaming widely at her friends. "This truck is amazing, you guys. Thank you so much!"

They all descended upon her to hug whatever part of her they could reach. "You're welcome, Bells," Rosalie chuckled. "Think of it as a your homecoming slash early birthday present."

After a little more small talk, Bella excused herself. "I really should get home. Charlie's going to expect me soon, and I still have to unpack."

"Okay," Emmett nodded. "Be sure to show him your pimped out ride!"

"I will," she promised. But whether he would notice or even care was a completely different story.

Edward drove with her to her house. Unsurprisingly, her father was home, glued to the television with a beer in his hand and a pizza in his lap.

"Hey, Dad," greeted Bella. "I'm home."

Edward came up behind her, bringing up the rest of her luggage. "Hello, Chief Swan."

Charlie grunted his acknowledgment of the two of them, but didn't bother moving his head.

Bella knew the phases of Charlie's drunken stupors better than anyone, and in that moment, he was in the phase where nothing and no one could distract him from wallowing in his pain. So without another word, Bella climbed up the narrow staircase to her room with Edward following her lead.

The minute Edward crossed the threshold of her room he dropped Bella's bags and threw himself across her bed. Bella simply shook her head and started unpacking her suitcases.

"Let me see the iPod," demanded Edward. Bella unzipped her first suitcase and reverently handed the iPod (still encased in its box) to her friend. He took it from her with an appraising look in his eye.

"An iPod Touch, nice," he murmured approvingly. Then he smirked. "You know, having an iPod means that you have to have a computer that doesn't freeze whenever you pull up the web browser."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "That's what best friends with Macbooks are for."

Edward grinned wickedly. "Now that's just asking for trouble."

"You put any Abba on my iPod, I will kill you."

"Nuts."

But as a connoisseur of fine music, Edward took his responsibility very seriously. As Bella unpacked her belongings and put them away in the proper places, he pulled out his laptop and started creating the playlists for her iPod. He spent the next thirty minutes giving her the names of artists and asking for her approval.

"Acceptance?"

"Yes."

"Adele?"

"Yes."

"Alan Menken?"

"Hell yes."

"Akon?"

Bella shot him a withering glare and he chuckled. "Noted."

When he created a suitable playlist, he connected her iPod to his laptop and waited for the music to finish downloading. "So, are you excited for the start of school?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "No, not really."

Edward grinned. "Come on! We're starting our senior year! This is the beginning of the rest of our lives!"

"Have you been reading college brochures again?"

"You're so jaded, Bells. It's almost sad."

She put away her last pair of jeans and flopped on the bed next to him. "How can I be excited for another year of crappy teachers, stressful homework and idiotic teenage boys that can't keep their hands to themselves? Not to mention the endless drama."

He laughed. "I think there's going to be significantly less drama now that Emmett and Rosalie graduated."

"But there's still Tyler, Mike, Lauren and Jessica. Remember all that stupid prom crap last year?"

It was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. "If you had just gone with me like I suggested in the first place, none of it would have happened. In fact, we could avoid the inevitable drama this year altogether if you just agree to go to the dances with me." Inwardly, he knew he didn't stand a chance when it came to things like these, but it didn't stop him from hoping.

She grimaced. "I haven't gone to a single high school dance and I plan on keeping it that way."

"Not if Alice has anything to say about it," he warned. "You know there's no way you're getting out of gong to homecoming this year, not when she's dead set on experiencing everything." And secretly, he would be rooting for her.

"Wanna bet?"

"Against Alice? Forget it."

She grumbled and settled against Edward's side. "She's not going to get me so easily."

Edward laughed as his arms wrapped around her tiny form to bring her closer against him. "I don't doubt that."

They lay in thoughtful silence for a while and Edward sighed contentedly. Sometimes it was so easy for him to believe that she loved him the same way he did when they were resting in each other's arms like this. And maybe she would, if it weren't for the single, paper-thin wall that kept him from holding her heart completely.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after a few more moments.

"I'm thinking about Renee," she admitted. "I'm worried about her. I'm always worried about her."

Edward felt the ever-present guilt wring at his insides. "I'm sure she's fine," he said as reassuringly as possible. "Didn't you make enough food to feed five hundred for at least a month? She'll eat well enough."

She sighed. "That's not what I'm worried about right now. I'm worried that she'll fall for another loser."

It was a valid concern, taking into account Renee's dating history. She seemed to be going about the whole institution on a trial-by-error basis. "Your mother's bound to find someone. There's someone for everyone."

Bella didn't answer because she was fairly certain that Edward already knew what she was going to say. And well did he know her opinions. It was the one thing that kept him from making a more obvious overture for her affections.

"I think Renee's going to be fine. She's survived so far, hasn't she?"

Bella grumbled. "I wish I could be as optimistic as you."

It was Edward's turn to sigh. It was in Bella's nature to worry, but sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been so selfish, if he hadn't wanted to keep her all to himself. Would she have been happier in Phoenix? It was no secret that she detested Forks the minute her mother left her to her alcoholic father. Perhaps he shouldn't have begged her to stay when she was forced to make the decision. She deserved so much better than a man parading as a parental figure, who spent his days ignoring the growing likeness between his daughter and ex-wife. She deserved a rest from her role as constant caretaker to everyone she knew.

But the thought of Bella leaving him was too excruciating to bear. Even all those years ago, when he couldn't quite put a word to his feelings for her, he couldn't let her go. She had been his anchor since before he could even remember; if she left, he would be stranded, drifting in an ocean of despair and hazy, but painful memories. She was the first and only person to win his complete trust, and there was simply no way he could let her leave.

Maybe that was the real reason Bella didn't love him back. It wasn't that she shied away from love—she shied away from him. He was too selfish for so selfless a person.

He squeezed her form closer to his body. Years later, he was still unwilling to let her go though he knew he didn't deserve her.

"Bella?" he murmured into her hair. "I'm really glad you're home." When she didn't answer, he called her name again a little more loudly. "Bella?"

He looked down and realized she was asleep. He smiled tenderly and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Bella. I love you."