Sunrise

Chapter 9: Leave Out All The Rest

I am so having fun with this story. SO MUCH FUN. I'm glad you all like it so much. It means a lot to me!

OOO

"Cara!" Matt called helplessly, grabbing my hand. "Please! Don't do this!"

I wrenched my gaze and hand away from him—it wasn't a direct command. I could still leave. "I have to."

"No," he moaned in defeat. "Please, Cara, I'm begging you!" His eyes were anguished, and I couldn't witness them for one more second. I began to run.

I shot up in bed, gasping as a sudden realization dawned on me. I did have to leave. I did—

Guilt washed over me as I looked around for Matt, who happened to not be in the room. I sighed with relief and longing, laying back into the sheets and thinking. They had said "When I least expected it" so I had to go soon. I couldn't just stay here and let my brother and his family be "exterminated".

I had to leave—now. There wasn't any time to waste. I'd already stalled as long as I could, considering the fact that I'd known about this for a month. And after they got rid of Jaime, they would either propose me work with them (since I no longer had any ties to my human life) or I would die. End of story.

I got out of bed shakily, still my human self from my breakdown earlier. Which reminded me of Matt. I forced myself to think better thoughts. Matt had taken wonderful care of me, but I did not love him. Love was such a strong word, and…

I grabbed a duffle bag out of the closet, throwing in random necessities. I remembered the credit card from my family Matt had confiscated a while back, and concentrated on figuring out where it was. I retrieved it quickly, shoving it in my pocket and returning to packing. As I surveyed the contents of the bag, I thought about what I was missing. While I could be human, speed would be essential once they knew I was gone. Volterra was a relatively sunny place. I would need to keep to the shadows… but just in case…

I seized one of Matt's smoky-like cloaks, fastening it around my neck and pulling up the hood. I was genuinely surprised, as I completed one last double-check, at how clear my brain was. Here I was, leaving the place that had been one cruel home to me over the past year, with a man that loved me, and I was about as emotional as a rock. But then I began to think about Matt, again. He had taken such good care of me, and I was leaving, betraying him without one scrap of me to keep.

With shaking fingers, I unfastened my locket—the only source of protection I had—and placed it on my pillow. I gave it one last, longing look. It signified my freedom, but I didn't want it anymore. Even if I felt like I was ripping my heart out, I didn't want it.

But leaving the locket wasn't enough. I needed to make sure he knew there was a reason for my departure, that I wasn't just doing it to cause him pain. My dream haunted me as I took his notepad from the nightstand and scribbled:

I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

I couldn't hold back any longer. A single tear slid down my cheek and dropped onto the foreboding slip of paper, acting as a kind of signature. I blinked and slung the duffle over my shoulder before changing back stepping into the hallway.

I moved briskly, stopping up short if I heard any noise. I was petrified it would end up being Matthias and my dream would replay itself without mercy. As soon as I reached the main doors, I changed into a vampire and ran. I pumped my legs as fast as they could go, refusing to let my fear stop me. I was no longer chained to the Volturi, but I would forever be chained to Matt. The painfully glowing band told me so.

I could almost hear him chiding me, "You promised."

Matt. My heart constricted as I flung myself onto the wall. The golden bracelet cut into my rock-hard skin, and I winced. My guilt for Matt overshadowed what I was doing. I had to break free.

I was on top of the wall, and I looked back behind me. No one had come after me yet, but it was only a matter of time before Matt noticed I was gone and saw my locket and note. I glanced at the bracelet, which was as bright as a star, blinding me.

"Promises are meant to be broken," I hissed determinedly, as there was a loud crack.

Two halves of a broken sphere clattered to the ground, and I stared at them in disbelief. Had I completely severed my ties with Matt? The solemn thought seared my mind. A new sense of freedom surged through me, but I pushed it away. Where had evading and freedom gotten me?

I dropped down from the wall and picking up the two halves that had once encircled my wrist. I glared at them angrily, but felt my gaze soften with each passing second. I did, however, throw one back over the wall. The other was mine to keep.

I took off, pumping my legs again, whispering, "I'm sorry, Matt," into the wind.

OOO

When I got deeper into the city, numbness had started to take over. I pulled the cloak tighter around me, as if that would ebb it, and surveyed the parking lot. Time for a crash course of Grand Theft Auto 101.

The first thing that caught my eye was a sleek black car. It reminded me slightly of Carlisle's Mercedes, but it was a mustang. Not a good choice for long distance cars. I picked out a white Porsche instead. Not too noticeable and extremely quick. I grabbed the door off its hinges, stifled the alarm, and replaced the big chunk of metal back in its spot. Glancing around for a spare key, I shoved my duffle in the small backseat and pulled down the visor.

Bingo.

I jammed the keys into the ignition and back out with a screech, all my focus on driving. I smirked, pulling out of the lot and a horn blared angrily. I took the road opposite from the airport. That would be what they were expecting me to do. I took a deep breath as I sped down the road. There was so much to get away from, and so little time.

I drove for hours until I made it out of Italy and then days as I gunned it to England. I stopped for gas every few hours, and I hunted off the coast of Italy. I was fine for a flight.

I looked at my credit card on my way into the airport, towing the duffle bag. Rita Fowler, my credit card said. I didn't think I looked like a Rita… but oh well. More power to me.

"Are you traveling out of the country?" the British woman from behind the counter called, and my gaze snapped up. I hadn't taken a shower in days, but I figured my beauty would make up for it. She didn't notice my filth, and I smiled, saying:

"Yes, actually." Naw… Why else would I be in an airport? To fly into the country? "I need a… one-way ticket to Montana."

"Well," she said, fingers clacking against the keys, "we have a flight in a few hours that has an open seat. That goes to California."

"Ma'am," I said quietly, trying not to sound agitated. "I need to get to Montana. Not California. I have enough money for first class. Now, please, can you give me a flight to Montana?"

I passed a roll of Italian money to her as I spoke. It had been in the pocket of Matt's cloak. I didn't figure it as stealing. If I ever saw him again, I'd pay him back in solid gold.

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up at the money. I had a feeling she had no clue it was Italian and therefore would not work in Britain off the back. "Of course, dear!" She winked largely as she took the money. I stifled a groan at her stupidity. She completely overrode the air of discreetness.

I sighed, taking my duffle as a carry-on, and took my ticket. I went to the right gate and sat in a seat next to a little blonde, curly-haired girl who smiled hugely at me. I smiled back, and she leaned over and whispered to me, "I'm going somewhere special. Mrs. Owens said that my family would love me so much!"

It was then that my eyes took in the tag around her neck: JUVENILE PASSANGER. She wore a uniform, one that I knew very well. The pleated skirt, the fleece jacket, the white blouse. I cringed away from the memories, but smiled at the beaming girl.

"That's great, sweetie," I said with my fake smile. She grinned back at me.

"I'm just so excited!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "I mean, I get to have parents!"

I blinked, trying not to frown. Parents. That's what I was missing. I missed everyone so much. I bit my lip and sucked it in as a lady in a suit came up and gasped with relief. "Emma! There you are!" she exclaimed, and grabbed the girl's hand. "Don't run off on me like that, and don't talk to strangers!" The woman threw a backward glance at me as she said this, as if I were contaminated or something. I kept my face passive, though, until the girl, named Emma, waved back at me.

I smiled and waved, feeling fake. Yet I also felt a strange bond with the tiny girl. I felt as if I were her. Excited about a family.

I slightly missed that feeling.

I boarded the plane, ignoring the woman with the fake smile, the peppy flight attendant, etc. I sat down and shoved my duffle under my seat, leaning my forehead against the window.

It was only then, with the buzzing voices enveloping the aircraft like a silent blanket, that I felt alone. And I let a lone tear slide down my cheek.

I was a horrible person, really. Leaving without saying goodbye or giving any reason. Breaking Matt's power hold over me. So horrible, but I was doing it for a good cause. My brother was in trouble.

But… If I had left, and the Volturi had somehow tracked me, I could lead tem straight to Jaime. Nothing made sense anymore. Had I hurt my friend for nothing? The man who loved me for nothing? Had I completely ruined his life for nothing?

I could go back.

I undid my seatbelt, but a lurch set me back in my seat. The plane was moving and I was headed for Montana. The flight attendant leaned into my seat, fake smile and all, and spoke through clenched teeth: "Please fasten your seatbelt. There is the factor of turbulence—"

"Yeah, yeah." I did as was told and looked out the window. The lady sounded like a damn recording.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" she asked. I doubted she would sound much different if she asked, "Can I kill you?"

"You probably could," I said in Italian, rolling my eyes, "but I don't want anything." With that she walked away, looking puzzled. Ah, the wonders of vampire logic.

I remembered the debates Matt used to have with me about Government in Italy, how he'd taught me Italian, and how he'd corrected me every time I made a mistake in English grammar. I smiled. How ironic, I thought, that an Italian boy could correct an American on her grammar. Then again, from what I'd heard lately, grammar needed major improvement in the U.S.

The flight was long. Nearly half a day I waited motionlessly before I was in Montana, and when I got there, I had no car, no place to stay, and I was a teenager on the loose. Whahoo. Yippee. Yay.

The first thing I did was buy a car. A nice, fast car. I felt slightly upset about basically spending all the money on the credit card my father gave me—like a brat—but, he had said once to only use it for emergencies. If this wasn't an emergency, I didn't know what the hell was.

Then I got a cell phone. I knew Jaime's digits by heart, and my own phone had been confiscated in Volterra. I dialed the number as I was driving, and the machine picked up. "Hey, you've reached Jaime. I'm out, so call back later, 'cause I probably won't buzz you back unless it's something important. Beep."

"Jaime, it's Cara. Listen closely." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "You know the freaky vampires I went to Italy with? Yeah, well, we have a slight problem. They were talking about 'eliminating' you and your pack, so I ran away and I'm in Montana. I'd classify this as important. Please, call me back. Soon. Love ya, bye."

I snapped the phone shut, cursing Jaime for not picking up. The little Twot.

It was a couple hours until I'd heard from Jaime again, and by then I had already checked the house. My house. The Cullen house. And then I had almost fainted. They weren't there. It wasn't like they were hunting, either. All of their cars were gone, but when I looked in the window, it looked like they never left.

"Well, this sucks," I muttered, but my mood lightened as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I snapped it open without looking at the caller. "Hello?"

"Cara?" Jaime's voice was incredulous, unbelieving. I couldn't tell if it was because I called him or from the present I'd left him on his answering machine.

"Jaime!" I exclaimed. "Oh, god, I'm so glad to hear from you! Did you get my message?" I added in a hushed whisper. I didn't know why—no one was around me.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. "Yeah." His voice sounded weak. I instantly regretted not telling it to his face. I could picture him replaying the message over and over again, completely in shock.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"Playing soccer with Freesia at the college." He sounded guilty for some reason. I contemplated that.

"College?" I questioned. "What college? There's no college close to here."

He was silent once more. "Yeah," he mumbled after a moment. "I know. Freesia and I got accepted into Dartmouth."

It was my turn to be unspeaking. Jaime? Darthmouth? What reality show was I in? The Twilight Zone? I guessed I shouldn't be so surprised. Jaime was a good student, I had just never thought about him getting into a college so far away. "So, you're not in Montana?" I asked stupidly.

"Yeah. And you are."

"Naw," I joked, but then as I took in my surroundings, I remembered why I also needed to talk to him. "Jaime, do you know where my family is? The Cullens, I mean."

He didn't say anything for a moment, which was really aggravating me. Then I heard him take a deep breath. "Cara, they left about a month ago."

"What d'you mean?"

"They left because they were getting noticeable here," he said quietly. "At least that was one reason. Another was… well, they went looking for you."

"They did what?" I exclaimed, instantly angry. Damn Alice! Why had she done that? "You mean they went to Volterra?" My voice was too high, fear was closing in. No, no, no! They couldn't have. "But… wait. That doesn't make any sense. I would have seen them there!"

"I never said they went to Volterra," he countered calmly. "Alice had a vision about you leaving, but she didn't know when it was. So I don't know where they are or what they're doing, but I highly doubt they're in Volterra."

"B-But—" I broke off in frustration. "Aw, well crap."

"Maybe she can see you now—Wait a damn second. How did she see you in the first place?"

I laughed nervously. "Jaime, before I tell you, know I love you." He didn't say anything, so I spilled. "When they were threatening your annihilation, I took off the locket so Alice could hear what they were saying. I told her to warn you. Obviously she didn't, did she?"

"They had already left. I thought you said Alice sees the future."

"She does," I answered naively.

"Well, you took it off in the present, didn't you? In that case, she wouldn't have seen what was happening, but the choices you already had in mind. Does that make sense?"

I groaned. "More than you know." How could I have been so stupid? I had completely forgotten! So she would have seen me leaving, not what I had wanted her to see. Damn. "Goddamn it, Jaime, when did you get so smart?"

He made this smug noise. "Oh, I've always been the best in my class." I knew he was joking. But then there was an awkward silence as my mind drifted back to the problem. His apparently did too, because he asked: "Cara, do you know what's going to happen to my family?"

"You need to call them and warn them. I need to get the hell out of here before they start tracking me. If I'm found here, I'll just lead them straight to you."

"The pack doesn't live in Montana, anymore, Cara. They live in Forks, Washington." Ah, that name rung a bell. Great.

"Isn't that the first place the Volturi would look, dumbass?" I snarled, and he laughed. I looked at the phone is disbelief. "What is so funny?"

"You called me dumbass!"

"Uh… I don't get it." I was wondering for his sanity.

"Neither do I," he admitted. "But I was trying to lighten the mood. Look, I'll call them. You get away and don't come back to Montana. Lie low in another state. Go to high school, stuff like that…. In case, you know, they show up." He was silent again. "I missed you, Cara. Lots."

"I know," I said. "I missed you, too. But I gotta go drive to another state, okay?"

"Right. Stay safe."

"You bet." The phone went dead, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. I didn't cry often, but it seemed like it had been happening a lot lately. I walked down the porch steps and back to my car, thinking of the time Jaime wigged out on me because I fell off the horse.

The horse… She had spooked. Horses didn't spook for no reason, and while it could have been a twig, I had my doubts. I remembered seeing something white. Or at least something extremely pale.

It had been Matt.

That didn't tick me off as much as it would have a month ago. I still felt guilty, and I didn't want to blame him for anything else he didn't have control over. I focused on him, and instantly regretted it.

He was arguing with Caius. About me.

"Find her!" Caius ordered. "Make her come back."

"I can't!" Matt hissed back, and I noticed something beneath his words. He thrust his half of my bracelet under Caius's nose. "She broke my hold. I can't make her do anything." He sounded oddly relieved.

"Aro and Jane will not be pleased," Marcus said from the side.

"Kudos to them, then!" Matt exclaimed angrily, a phrase he had learned from me.

He stalked out of the room, the broken bracelet clenched tightly in his hand.

I kept walking to the car, my head down. At least he wasn't wallowing in depression, and that fact made me feel slightly better. He may love me, but he was also relieved I was gone. He didn't want me to deal with the Volturi any longer.

I got in the Aston Marten and rested my head against the wheel. I was going somewhere else. Somewhere far away from here. And as a song came on the radio, I realized where I was going.

Alabama.

OOO

I just couldn't resist the next part of the story taking place in that state. I recently watched Sweet Home Alabama, so some parts may seem like that movie.

I'm working on a website for all my stories spoilers, explanations, pictures, and playlists. So the link will be on my profile within the week, once I get it going.

Jamie.

PS: no offense to British folks. That was just where she was.