Hello, everyone. I know I haven't been updating, but that was because my mom caught me on the computer when I was updating the last chapter. I was turning off the computer when she barged in. I wasn't allowed to use the computer at all until right now!

My imaginary cat, Twilight, has to share her basket in my head with an imaginary dog named New Moon. I don't think they like sharing the tiny basket. Those two troublemakers belong to me and my imagination, but the published Twilight series does not. They belong to Mrs. Stephenie Meyer.

RPOV

"I love you, Mom," Bella whispered in my ear as she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"I love you, too, honey. You have no idea how much I'll miss you," I whispered in her ear, my voice cracking in the end as a few traitor tears escaped my eyes.

My always thoughtful daughter pulled away and frowned. "Mom, why are you crying? We're going to see each other in just a few months."

I wiped my tears away. "I'm being silly, aren't I"

"Not being silly—just being a mom," she assured me with a smile.

"It's just so hard not having you to talk to whenever I need to. I thought I'd be used to it by now, but I guess living without your daughter isn't something you can get used to," I confessed.

"But you have Phil," Bella said, confused.

I smiled at her. "There are some things you just can't talk about with your husband. You might understand—you've been dating for a while now." Bella's face dropped a little bit. My smile wiped off my face instantly. "Bella, is there something wrong with your relationship with Jacob?"

Bella's face cleared and it was suddenly too innocent. "What do you mean?"

I studied her face closely. "Bella, I know that something's going on. You've been much too falsely cheerful throughout the week."

Bella chuckled, but it seemed a bit off—forced. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mom."

I knew that Bella was keeping something from me, but I let it go. "You should go now if you don't want to miss your plane. We were supposed to be in a hurry, remember?"

Bella chuckled again, but it was different this time—more natural. "Next time I visit, I'm setting the alarm clocks."

I pulled her in for one last hug, and let her go. She picked up her luggage, smiled at me, and mouthed, "I love you." I did the same, and watched silently as my daughter walked away from me.

When Bella was out of my sight, I made my way back to my car, trying to figure out what she was hiding from me. After recalling everything that happened during Bella's stay, I had come up with nothing more than even more curiosity for what she was hiding.

Finally, deciding she would've told me if it was very important, I let it go. I drove away from the airport, leaving my worries and suspicion behind me.

BPOV

I struggled to make my way out of the airport without moving my twisted ankle too much. Yes, I had managed to twist my ankle on a plane, of all places. I had tripped over a little kid's toys that he had left lying around, and now my poor ankle was throbbing every time I moved it.

A few people had offered help, but I had declined because all the offers were from men whose eyes lingered on parts of my body I preferred to keep away from men's eyes. Every one of them had been persistent, not giving up until I threatened to call the security if they didn't walk away.

I growled in my head as another guy walked over. He had a smug expression on his face that showed me he thought he was the hottest guy in the world. "Would you like some help?" he asked, staring at my chest.

"No, she wouldn't," a voice I hadn't been expecting, answered for me. I jumped, and spun around, clutching my leg.

"Ouch!" I cursed.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. How did you twist your ankle on a plane?"

I glared up at him from the floor. "Shut up and help me up!"

"That's a nice way to talk to your favorite brother, who, by the way, hasn't seen you in months," he answered, crossing his arms.

"Emmett!" I complained.

He laughed loudly, causing a few heads to turn. I screamed as Emmett picked me up in one arm and my bags in the other.

"Let me down!" I screamed, pounding on his back with my fists. "Emmett Cullen! Let me down!"

Emmett turned to the pervert that had been staring at my chest. "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but if you stare at my little sister like that one more time, you will find yourself in a whole lot of pain. Just thought you'd like to know," he grinned.

The pervert nodded, eyes wide.

He chuckled and continued to walk to his car. When we got to his Audi, he put down gently and started putting my bags in the trunk. After making sure he couldn't see me, I examined my hands. They throbbed from pounding Emmett's rock-hard back, and I was sure I would have bruises by tomorrow.

Emmett got in and started the engine at the same time. Putting on his seatbelt, he turned to grin at me. "So, how did you twist your ankle?"

I scowled. "I tripped," I mumbled, but he must have heard because he started laughing loudly. I bit my lip to stop the rude words I wanted to say to him.

Emmett didn't pay any attention to the road as he examined me closely. "Did Alice tell you how proud she was of your choices in clothes when she saw you in Florida?"

I blinked. "I—I thought you weren't supposed to know about that," I stammered.

Emmett's face hardened. "Well, Alice had a vision of your choice during your flight merely ten feet from Edward. She couldn't hide it and had to spill everything. She wanted to pick you up herself, but Carlisle wanted to talk to her about going somewhere practically on the equator," he explained, suddenly paying more attention to the road.

I stiffened. "How did Edward take it?" I asked reluctantly. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Not very well. He told me to tell you that he would be at 'the meadow' or something like that. He whispered it as he ran out of the door," he mumbled.

I looked down at my hands. I hadn't wanted him to find out like that, but, selfishly, I was glad that I wouldn't have to be the one delivering the news. I would still have to talk to him, though, and the thought discomforted me.

"Anyway," Emmett started, his tone a tad bit too cheerful, even for him, "Rosalie wants to talk to you after you talk to Edward. She said it's important, so don't try to run away," he warned.

I paled. Why would Rosalie, the only Cullen that hadn't accepted me into the family, want to talk to me at all? Did she hate me even more now that I had broken her brother's heart?

Emmett glanced at me when I didn't answer. He smiled understandingly at my terrified expression. "Look, I know Rosie can be scary when she wants to be, but she didn't sound mad at all when she said she needed to talk to you."

I didn't relax. "Why would she like me any more than she used to when I broke her brother's heart?" I whispered.

Emmett grimaced. I could tell by his distant eyes that he was remembering something that had happened in the past. He didn't say anything for a long time, and I chose not to be the one to break the silence.

We didn't say anything until we got to Forks. I sighed, and he looked at me sympathetically.

"How am I going to tell him?" I panicked.

"Thanks to Alice, Edward already knows about who you chose. You only need to tell him why. Isn't that a bit easier than having to tell him your choice?"

I nodded. "Still, how am I going to do this without breaking his heart all over again?" I cried, my heart racing at a rate of a hundred miles per hour.

"Just keep it simple and gentle. Don't be too blunt." He paused. "That's all I've got."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Jee, thanks. Em. That was a lot of help."

"You're welcome," he chuckled.

I hesitated for a moment, pondering my question. Before I could chicken out, I asked quietly, "Emmett, when I tell Edward, and he's heartbroken, will you guys leave? Will you cut off all connections and hate me for the rest of eternity?"

He frowned, thinking. A long period of silence passed. I started to bite my nails nervously. He was quiet for so long that I wondered if he had heard the question.

"No," he replied finally, and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "The family broke apart when we left Forks. Of course, we'll have to leave in a few years, but we won't leave just now. Even if we leave, we'll keep in touch with you and visit once in a while. And you can't seriously be thinking that we'll hate you," he frowned disapprovingly. "We can't hate you for following your heart."

I smiled gratefully. "I guess I knew you wouldn't, but I had to hear you say it."

"So, where do you want me to take you?" Emmett asked.

I hesitated. I could have Emmett drive me and take me to the meadow—it would certainly make it easier for me. However, I didn't want anyone to find out about our meadow if possible. It was a sacred place where I could remember the old days and my first romance. This would make life much harder for me in the next few hours, but I didn't have a choice.

"Emmett, do you think I could borrow someone's car? I really want to get to the meadow alone."

Emmett blinked, but regained his composure quickly. I was surprised. I had thought that he would insist on helping me and my sad twisted ankle to the meadow. "Damn, there goes my opportunity to find out where you two escaped to last summer after dumping human food all over me. But yeah, Jasper would probably let you borrow his car. He got it just last month. It's a new model, and—"

I put up a hand. "Too much information. I don't speak Car, remember?"

He laughed as we pulled into the Cullens' garage. He got out of the car and walked over to a navy-ish black sports car. It looked very fast. I gulped, imagining me crashing the car and Jasper yelling at me in fury. It wasn't very plausible, but possible. Emmett pushed me gently towards the car.

"It won't bite, you know," he chuckled.

I gulped again. "Are you sure Jasper won't mind me driving his new car?"

"He doesn't, so just get in the car, Bella. And by the way, I really like your v-neck!" Alice yelled from somewhere inside the mansion.

"There's your answer," Emmett said, walking towards a corkboard with at least twenty nails on them. Each held up a key. He tossed me one of them, which I let drop to the ground next to me, knowing I would break something if I tried to catch it. I bent down to pick it up, but Emmett beat me to it.

"Jeez, Bella, you really have slow reflexes," he noted, handing the keys to me. "Get in the car. And please try to be gentle," he said.

I grimaced. "I'll try."

I cursed as another branch slammed into my face. I was now covered in bruises and scratches from my trips and other accidents. I felt a trickle of blood running down my forehead as I pulled the sharp branch away.

I was able to limp for another five minutes before I tripped over a tree root. Stupid things. Weren't they supposed to stay beneath the soil? I struggled to stand up, but I couldn't. My twisted ankle was very painful now from all the strain I had put on it. I sighed. There was only one more thing left for me to do unless I wanted to rot away on this forest floor.

"Edward!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Edward Cullen!"

A sudden, unnatural breeze told me my savior was here. I looked up into his empty, golden eyes. His face was completely devoid of emotion. I looked at my bloody hands, avoiding meeting his eyes. It wouldn't help me explain myself to him at all.

His cold hand landed on my arm. He pulled me off the dirty floor. We stood there, silent and unmoving, for what seemed like hours. We were both waiting for the other to start talking, but neither of us said anything. I noticed that the forest had gotten darker, scarier.

Still not saying anything, Edward crouched down in front of me. I smiled feebly and climbed onto his back expertly. I distantly remembered the first time he had given me a ride this way. I had been terrified of throwing up on his back.

We were at the meadow in no time. I climbed off. The slight breeze pushed the beautiful, red swing back and forth. I was overcome by a distant memory.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked, laughing as Edward raided the garage. He loaded the backpack with supplies for . . . whatever he was planning. I saw the top of a brush. Were we painting something?

He shook his head. "I said it's a surprise."

He opened up the cupboard behind his Volvo. Inside was a huge shopping bag, full of something. I frowned in confusion and irritation while Edward loaded the Volvo with all of his supplies.

He flashed a brilliant smile at me, shutting the trunk. "I'm ready. Get in the car."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "No," I said.

His brows pulled together. "No?"

"That's right. I'm not leaving until you tell me what we're doing," I said stubbornly. He groaned.

"Bella, this is a surprise. I can't tell you what we're doing. That would ruin the whole idea of a 'surprise.'"

I pouted. "Please? If you really love me, please tell me what we're doing. Pretty please?" I batted my eyelashes, hoping I was doing this right. I rarely acted like this.

He gulped. "Uh . . . I . . ." he shook his head. "No, this is a surprise." With that, he pulled me off the stool I was sitting on and dragged me into his Volvo.

"Stop it! You're kidnapping me! Edward!" I screamed.

He answered with a scowl. After putting on my seatbelts, he got on the car and drove out of the garage before I could take off my seatbelts and get off the car.

We drove in silence. I was pouting, and Edward was scowling. My anger and irritation was forgotten for a moment when he pulled the car to a stop in front of the forest where our meadow was hidden. I turned to look at him, but he was already out of the car and getting his supplies from the meadow. Suddenly, he disappeared right in front of my eyes, and I panicked. Where was he?

A few minutes later, just as I was about to drive back to the Cullens for help, he came back. His hair was even messier than usual from running, and his supplies were gone. Wordlessly, he crouched down in front of me. I climbed on, and he took off into the forest.

In no time at all, we were at the meadow. His supplies were in front of what was probably the sturdiest tree in this whole forest. I climbed off his back, and stared at him for an explanation. If he could feel my eyes on him, he didn't show it as he walked over to his bags. He first pulled out some paint, paint brushes, wood, a hammer, nails, and some other tools I couldn't name.

At last, he looked at me with a smile. I smiled back hesitantly. I still didn't know what we were going to do. For all I knew, we could be building a canoe.

"Er, what exactly are we building?" I asked.

"A swing."

I gaped at him. That was the most romantic thing we could be building for the two of us. I ran to him, smiling at his surprised expression. My arms wrapped themselves around his neck and my legs wrapped around his torso. My lips found his, and he fell back to the ground, smiling against my lips.

"So, would it be safe to assume that you aren't mad at me anymore?" he asked, pulling away.

"Yes," I smiled, pulling his lips to mine again.

I shook my head. It wouldn't help to think of our past right now. I was supposed to be ending this relationship once and for all, for crying out loud!

Edward was staring at me with a painful expression on his face. What had I done?

A trickle of something warm ran down my cheek. I lifted my hand to wipe the blood away, but I realized it wasn't blood. I realized I had been crying.

Sniffling, I turned away from his gaze and went to sit on the grass. He came to sit with me and handed me a hankerchief. I took it with a small "thank you" and wiped all the blood, tears, and snot from my face. Feeling slightly better, I turned to him, determined to get this over with.

"Edward," I started, but he closed my mouth with a finger.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to tell me that we'll still be able to be friends or some other nonsense like that. It won't make it any easier," he grimaced. I bit my lip. I hated seeing him in pain. I knew exactly what he was feeling. I had felt just like this when he had left me in the forest last September.

"Edward, I'm really sorry," I breathed.

He smiled at me bitterly. It wasn't the crooked grin I had fallen in love with. I looked away. "I'm really sorry, Edward. I would do anything keep you from this pain. I'm so sorry."

He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Don't be. I don't blame you. Just remember I will always love you."

"Edward . . ." I said, but he silenced me by scooping me up in his arms. He sprinted off into the woods.

Before I knew it, we were at Jasper's car. He let me down next to the car, kissed my ckeek, and whispered, "I'll always love you." He was gone before I could say anything.

I got in the car, dropping my face into my hands. This had not gone very well. I had meant to end this relationship, but we were still kind of tied together. I was supposed to cut off that tie, but I had failed.

A sob wracked through my body, and then another. I didn't try to stop them.

I thought I saw a flash of white in the woods. I thought I could see a sad, agonized, painful face staring at me. I blinked through my tears, and it was gone.

I will start typing up the epiloge. Oh yeah, please review!