BELLA POV:
I could not decide whether to float and relish in happiness or to mourn. So, I found a way to shut off the thinking. I plunked myself down in Charlie's chair (he was working.) I turned the TV, all the while feeling odd. I thought it was just the fact I never watched TV, so I adjusted myself, throwing my thoughts to the mindless show on.
A few minutes later, there was persistent knocking on the door. I sprang up, and looked around tersely. Sighing, and flatting down my hair, I walked to the door. I swore I heard Emmett's guffaw, but pushed it out of my head. I did not want to think about them. I opened the door to a hopping Alice, an Emmett on the ground laughing, a cool Rosalie, and Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle watching bemusedly. I felt my mouth open and close like a gold fish. Alice stopped hopping, and Emmett stopped laughing at my surprise at the knock on the door. I guess they figured out I wasn't exactly thrilled to see them.
"Bella…?" Alice questioned, my mouth still flapping. Emmett began to laugh quietly, trying to hide it. I shook my head.
"I…just…don't… believe it!" I cried, really loud. Alice, whose ears were at my mouth, winced.
"Sorry… oh! Oh, oh, oh, come in. Sorry, really!" My face turned red, and the rain pouring down outside wasn't helping.
"It's ok." Rosalie said, shocking everyone. I felt my mouth fall open, but I forced myself to speak to mask my surprise,
"Um… care to sit down? I would offer you something but…" I laughed nervously, completely thrown off of why they were here. Oh… Edward.
"Bella honey, come sit… we…. We need to tell you something." Esme said, sitting neatly on Charlie's chair. Carlisle stood behind it, his hands on her shoulders. I sat on the couch across from where Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper were.
"Yes?" I asked, wanting to get this over with. Not to be rude, but I wanted to hug my chest and cry.
"Edward's… well… well he's…" Carlisle started.
"Dead." I mumbled, and they turned to stare.
"How did you…?" Jasper asked for them all. I shook my head,
"Even though he didn't love me, he was my whole being. You would know when that dies."
"Actually, we wouldn't," Emmett said, trying to lighten the crushing atmosphere. I laughed feebly, and stood.
"Thanks." I mumbled, and shuffled towards the door.
"Bella?" Alice cried. "Wait, why?" I turned slowly.
"Why what?" I asked, honestly. It was all over now.
"Don't you care? Why are you pushing us away?" her small face was crumpled in a frown, and I wanted to reach out to her. But, I couldn't.
"I do care Alice. But I have been through so much, and I know the easiest way with Edward s to dispose him from your mind. It will be hard. If you are here… everything is ten times harder." I squeezed my eyes shut and opened the door.
"Feel free to take an umbrella." No one picked one up as they filed out the door. Looking back at me, guilt was all over my features, I could tell. Alice began to move back towards me, but Jasper grabbed her arm. They bickered quietly under their breath, but Jasper managed to get Alice in the car. Carlisle jogged back, human speed, and handed me a slip of paper.
"Please, Bella… call us. You have a long life in front of you, but… ours is eternity." He looked sorrowful, and he turned away and walked back to the car.
Edward…. I fell into my memories….
"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. very dark, but there were stars- points of light and reason... And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.'
His dazzling stare… his tousled hair… his diamond-like reflection… his crooked smile.
This was worse then when he left. I had always been holding on to the fact he would have came back. He might have come back…
"Do you ever think that your life might be easier if you weren't in love with me?"
"No!" I screamed, both to the Cullen's and to Edward. I ran out into the road. "Alice!" I screamed, even though the car had stopped and she was already halfway towards me. She hugged me, and the rain fell down, soaking her and me. The rest of the Cullen's stayed in the car, but drove it back to park it in the driveway. I cried, but it felt like I had endless tears… it could have been the rain…
After our episode in the rain, Alice and I went inside. I showered, and the Cullen's mulled around the house. I invited them to dinner, and Esme accepted for all of them No one complained, but I had to meet a condition.
"Come with us, Bella. Tell your father you will be gone for a month or two." Esme's sweet voice was gentle, but firm. I had no choice. If Charlie said no, all the Cullen's would be on him like –snaps fingers- that! In about an hour of casually talking and catching up (with my tears and some dry sobs) Charlie came home,
"Bella! I'm ho-" Charlie was shocked, but still managing to look angry. I jumped up.
"Dad, dad, dad come into the kitchen with me. Please." He was quickly turning purple, but I hurriedly pushed him into the kitchen.
"Dad… Sit. Please." He sat, sensing something was not right.
"Dad, Edward is… Ed-dwa-ard" I could barely bring myself to voice this whole sentence. "He's… dead." Charlie's anger vanished and he sat there openmouthed.
"Wh-wh-at? How?" I decided to lie to him, more then I normally would.
"He was in a supermarket, and he was buying food for the homeless. When he was at the register, some guy came in and tried to rob the cashier. Edward took a bullet. The guy was deranged!"
Edward had to go down with a good rep.