EPOV

I really did try my best to get situated again and gain favor with my family. In Forks, it was really hard to do anything without falling into the depression that has been my life for so long. Everything here reminds me of her. The first time I tried to play my piano again I nearly broke down into vampire tears. Her faint scent was gone, but the memory remained…this is where she sat, where I wrote her lullaby, where we celebrated her birthday that destroyed everything. I didn't blame my family for any of it-I blamed myself really. I should have denied her accusations, allowed her to live her life normally. I missed her so much. My non-beating heart ached with the sadness my body could not contain.

There were footsteps on the stairs. Short, childlike, that gave away the smallest member of the family. "Edward, I was just thinking it might be able to help you have closure if you researched a little bit about the rest of her life here. Maybe the newspaper? Find out if she stayed here, got married, died here…" She droned off.

I considered it. It would hurt to know that she had moved on and gotten married, had children. But, it would be exactly what I'd wanted for her. To live a happy, human life. "I'll look into it," I responded. The idea had grown on me, I would confirm my belief that we had done the right thing leaving when we did. It would be fairly simple to persuade the city officials who held town records.

I grabbed my keys from the wicker bowl and ran to my car. The sooner to distract my mind with this project the better. It was a lie that I told Bella when I mentioned being easily distracted. I could think of her, of school, of problems, and of this project all at the same time. I was not easily tied down in my thoughts. Nevertheless, I hoped that whatever deity presided, he would allow this small favor, that I would be able to be hopelessly divulged in this distraction to the point that I would forget all of my troubles.

The drive to city hall was too short. The small library of records was in the basement guarded by the late Mrs. Robins whose husband passed away 5 years ago. All this information I heard in a moment just catching some of her thoughts as she reminisced the day away. I swung the door open. "Good afternoon, how can I help you today?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm trying to work on a school project about the town and I was wondering if you'd be able to help me locate some old newspapers and records from the past One hundred years.

Mrs. Robins took her time as she looked through her files and handed me four binders that were each five inches thick. "Here's this for you to get started, for now, and I'll work on finding some more papers for you."

"Thank you very much," I said as I offered her a convincing smile. I worked my way over to a wooden table in the far corner of the records, behind all of the shelves that would allow me to ponder over the findings without interruption.

I slammed the first binder closed after a mere 10 minutes and rushed over to the old woman. "Can you copy these 5 pages for me? I'd really like to use direct quotes from them in my paper."

"Of course. Just these ones?" She asked, gesturing to the pile of papers I'd handed her," her eyebrow was raised, suspicious I'm sure of what the paper would be about, "This must be a really tough assignment to write about such hard times on the town."

"Yes, Mr. Flanagan wanted me to have a challenge and learn about what the town had to overcome in the most recent part of its history."

"Well, I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to come back if you need anything else. I'm always here."

"Thank you, I will."

Not wanting to stay any longer, I rushed up the stairs and out to my car with the pages grasped tightly in my hand. I drove the way to the big house as fast as possible not caring about the speed or the people I might come in contact with.

Barging into the house, my whole family was waiting in the room. No doubt Alice had tipped them off about my mood.

"Edward what is it? What did you find out?" Esme looked into my eyes with worry filling her voice.

"She's dead!"

"It's been so long, what did you think was going to happen to her, Idiot," Rosalie rolled her eyes, her condescending tone only pissed me off more.

"You don't understand! She died THREE DAYS after we left!" I roared at them, hate filling my tone, "She didn't move on or fall in love or live a normal human life like we'd hoped. She died in a car accident THREE lousy days after we left her!"

The shock was evident in everyone's faces. No one knew what to say in this situation. I ran to my room, locking my door behind me. The papers I had once held were now strewn everywhere on the stairs behind me, I dropped them, not wanting to see the horror they held for me any longer.

I did not emerge from my isolation the rest of the weekend.