Okay…deep breaths…and please don't hate me. Just get through the chapter and stick with the mantra 'Mellie promises a happily ever after…"

…

I loved Avery, more than I would ever expect to love another person. But I couldn't do this. I couldn't stop living just because I had made a mistake that had resulted in a child. I couldn't sit at home with a seven month old and let Edward live his life while mine was on hold.

I know I'm not a good person for doing this. In fact, abandoning my child and her father would make me a bad person. I've lied about so many things, and I've been trying to force myself to be someone I'm not. I've been portraying myself as a person who can be content with a small town life and a boyfriend and a baby, all while fresh out of high school. But really, I can't force myself to do this anymore.

Maybe, if they'll have me, I'll come back one day with a college degree and a job and life experience. But then again, maybe I won't.

…

It was only six in the morning, and Avery was fast asleep. I stood over her crib for several minutes, my hand over my mouth as silent tears trickled down my face. I didn't want to leave her, but my mind was made up. I had to do this. I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do with my life; because what I had here just wasn't working. So I leaned down and carefully picked Avery up, shushing her as she whimpered slightly. I hated disturbing her from her sleep, but I couldn't leave her home at the apartment. I would leave her at Kate Denali's, our next door neighbor. Kate and I were friends, and I knew that she would be okay with watching Avery if I told her it was an emergency.

Kissing the top of Avery's head, I picked up her diaper bag and slung it over my shoulder. Grabbing my backpack, which held all the cash I had, two changes of clothes, and other necessities, I made another stop in the kitchen and wiped tears from my cheeks as I scribbled a pathetic note to Edward. Sniffling, I left the note out on the counter where Edward would be sure to see it. With one more look around the apartment, I took a deep breath and walked out the door. Avery had dozed off in my arms again, so I held my free hand over her ears as I knocked on Kate's door.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Kate opened the door, looking like she was asleep standing up. "Bella? What the fuck do you want? It's…" She glanced over her shoulder, presumably looking at a clock. "Six in the morning…on a Saturday!"

"Look, I need you to take Avery." I said, using the back of my hand to wipe away the continuous trail of tears that was running down my face. Kate just stared at me, so I pushed Avery out towards her. "Please, Kate. You know I wouldn't ask if it weren't an emergency. I need you to take her, just until Edward gets off work."

Kate accepted Avery, looking stunned. "Um, okay. When will Edward get back?"

"Um, eight." I said, handing over Avery's diaper bag as well. "She'll probably sleep the rest of the night, but there are diapers and bottles in there. I have to go. Thank you so much, Kate. I'm sorry for waking you." Before Kate could say anything else, I leaned over and gave Avery a big kiss on the cheek, practically sobbing at that point. And then I did the hardest thing I will ever do in my life. I just walked away.

I had planned it like this- leaving early in the morning, so that by the time Edward got home and found out what I had done, I would be two hours ahead. If he even bothered to try and find me, I would be long gone by the time he would start.

It was cold and rainy outside, typical for Forks, but I trudged by myself to the bus station anyway. Shivering slightly due to the rain, I hurried inside the shabby building. Despite the early hour, there was a bored looking attendant standing at the ticket counter, flipping through a travel magazine. I approached quietly and quickly bought my ticket for the next bus, which left in ten minutes. The attendant gave a me suspicious look, probably because of my age and light baggage, but I ignored her and sat in the corner of the bus station on a bench, hugging my knees to my chest and breathing deeply.

I knew I would miss both of them, but there was an actual, physical ache in my chest, and I wanted nothing more than to just break down, cry, and go back to the apartment. But I didn't; I wouldn't.

My plan for the future was simple. I was taking a bus to Seattle. It wasn't very far away, but I planned to get my GED and find a job so I could save up enough money to get somewhere else, probably a big city like LA or maybe even Chicago. I wanted to become a teacher, if I could manage it all. And then, maybe if I had the courage, I would come back to Forks and try to pick up the pieces of the two lives that I had just shattered with one heartless decision.

EPOV

I don't know why, but when I opened the door to the apartment, something just felt wrong. I hesitated in the doorway, frowning. It was just past eight in the morning and it was a Saturday, so Bella and Avery were probably both still asleep.

Before I went to take a shower, I stopped in Avery's room out of habit, just to check on her. The first thing that tipped me off was the silence. One of my favorite things about having Avery asleep was just listening to her breathing, calm and interrupted. I was already panicking when I approached her crib. It was still dark in the room and when I reached down to touch her cheek, all I felt was her blanket. And then when my eyes adjusted and I saw that the crib was empty, my blood ran cold, practically freezing in my veins. A million awful possibilities ran through my head, and I took a deep, shaky breath before hurrying out of Avery's room and into mine, trying to tell myself that Bella had probably just taken Avery into our bed last night. But when I opened the door, the bed was empty and didn't look like it had been slept in.

At this point, I was just flat out panicking. Even though I had been working, Bella would have called and left a message if she was going anywhere. We had been fighting a lot recently…but she still would have called then, all I wanted to do was call the cops. But I tried to think more rationally, and I went into the kitchen to see if she had left a note. Terrible thoughts were running through my mind, and I couldn't do anything to stop them. I let out a long sigh of relief when I saw a small piece of paper folded up on the counter. As I picked it up and read it, though, I didn't believe what it said.

I'm sorry…but I can't keep doing this. I know you're going to hate me for this, but please try and understand. This isn't me, Edward. I can't pretend I'm happy anymore, and I want to try and have a life. I'm leaving my cell phone here, you can cancel the number. No one knows where I'm headed, so don't even both asking. You and Avery both deserve a lot better than me.

Bella

That was all. Bella was gone. Had she taken Avery…? I quickly read through the short note again, focusing on the closing. You and Avery deserve a lot better than me. She had left Avery, but where? I threw the note down on the counter in a mixture of hatred and pain and dread, and then it dawned on me that Bella would have left Avery close by. The only person I could think was Kate, our next door neighbor. I didn't even know her last name.

Still frantic, I hurried out into the hallway and knocked on Kate's door, praying that Avery was there and that Kate could offer me a further explanation of what the hell was going on.

Kate answered the door, and I pressed my hand to my forehead in relief when I saw Avery, wide awake and alert, in her arms. "Hey, Edward." Kate said easily, looking a little bit concerned. "Is everything okay with Bella?"

I shook my head, immediately taking Avery out of Kate's arms and holding her close to me. "I…I don't know. She's gone." I said, and Kate's mouth dropped open slightly. "She left a note." I said weakly, kissing the top of Avery's head repeatedly, thanking the fucking heavens that she was fine and that Bella hadn't taken her away. "I thought for a moment that she had taken Avery." I added quietly.

"Wait, she's gone?" Kate asked. "Like, for good?"

"I guess." I whispered, and suddenly it all washed over me again. She had left with a sorry excuse and a pitiful note, not even caring about Avery. What the fuck was I going to do with Avery, raising her on my own? And not just now…but years from now, too. It was hard to imagine, but one of these days real soon Avery is going to grow up, and I have no idea how to deal with teenagers, because let's face it, I was the guy that dad's wanted their teenage daughters to stay away from. I had gotten a teenage girl pregnant, and now I had to raise Avery on my own. "Thanks, Kate…I have to go." I said, and I suddenly felt numb again.

Kate nodded in understanding and handed over Avery's diaper bag, and then watched me walk back into our apartment. No, it was my apartment now. Just mine and Avery's. Fury curled through my body again, and I clenched my fists, looking down at my seven month old daughter.

I understood why Bella left me, at least on some level. But why did she leave Avery?

…

I was at a loss for what to do. It was Sunday, and I had to work. But Bella wasn't here to watch Avery, and I couldn't very well leave a seven month old home alone. I wondered if Charlie knew that his daughter had just walked out on us. And if he had, maybe he could guess where the fuck Bella had run off to. I doubted it, but it was still worth a shot.

So I gathered up Avery's things and made sure to put a hat on her head before leaving the apartment. As I trudged out to my car, Avery in my arms, I realized that I didn't care if Bella never came back. I knew she resented me, I knew she would leave me eventually. But Avery? She didn't deserve any of this; she didn't deserve to miss out on having a mother just because Bella was unbearably immature and insecure.

When I got to Charlie's house, I was relieved the see that his cruiser was parked out front and the light in the kitchen window was on. I walked up to the house with a pit in the bottom of my stomach. Was Charlie going to blame me for Bella leaving? Taking a deep breath, I knocked sharply on the door, hitching Avery higher up on my hip as I did so.

Charlie came to the door after a moment, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I was relieved, knowing thanks to his attire that he didn't have to work today. "Edward? What's…?"

"I'm sorry for stopping by like this, but I have to work. Could you watch Avery until I get off this afternoon?" I asked desperately.

"Sure. You know how much I love this little lady." Charlie said easily, and I handed Avery over, as well as her diaper bag. "But where's Bella; why can't she watch her?'

I swallowed loudly, my mouth suddenly dry. "She's…" I hesitated for a moment, and Charlie's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know." I finally admitted. "She left…this morning or last night, I don't know. I got home and the apartment was empty and she left a note and Avery was at the neighbor's and Bella was just gone-" I rambled on, but Charlie held up his hand to stop, his eyes wide.

"Bella…left?" He repeated, looking from me to Avery. "She left you with the baby?" I nodded, looking down at my feet instead of at Charlie. "Did you try to call her?" I shook my head again, and I could tell that he was getting angry. "Edward, I know you'll do anything to protect your daughter. Do you think I'd be any different about my daughter? Are you sure you have no idea where she went?"

"I have no idea. Here…you can read the note." I said, digging around in the pocket of my jeans and producing the note Bella had left on the kitchen counter.

Charlie took it and then looked at Avery, sighing. "Come inside." He said, and led the way into the house. He set Avery down in the playpen that sat in the corner of the living room, and then sat down in one of the armchairs. I sat down in the one across from him, resting my elbows on my knees and putting my chin in my hands. I watched as Charlie unfolded the note and read it, his eyebrows furrowing as he did.

"I can't just…let her go." Charlie said slowly, folding the note back up and dropping it on the coffee table. "What if she's in trouble? What if-"

"She's not in trouble, Charlie." I said hollowly, running one of my hands through my hair. "She's gone because she got scared and decided she couldn't handle this anymore. So now, I don't care. I would eventually be able to handle her leaving me…but Avery doesn't deserve this."

…..

HEA, HEA, HEA! Remember, there will be one. Just stick with me…and we'll get there eventually. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, and please leave a review.

Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie