A/N heyyyyyyy :) thank you to everyone who reviewed last night :) I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so far. And don't worry, there will be some Edwardness in about two chapters, I think... I can't remember to be honest :) he's coming soon though.

Okay, I think that's all I really need so say, will probs say more at the end :) enjoy

Kindred Spirit (July 11th 2015, Bella's Office)

"How are you, Kari?"

"I don't know."

There is a silence here, that I never know how best to fill. I never look forward to my sessions with Kari, not that I have any aversions to the girl. She's perfectly nice. She's seventeen years old… and suffering from what I call 'post-soul-mate-break-up-depression', the pains of which I am all too well aware of. Kari has been coming to me since November now and there still has been no real improvement to speak of – except that she is now in fact speaking to me.

"Kari, how long has it been since it happened?"

"Eight months and nine days exactly. I could tell you the hours and minutes if you wanted?" she offers quietly, looking up at me from the other side of the desk.

I shake my head at her in response and look at her for a moment. I've been playing with an idea in my head for a while now, wondering whether or not it would be wise…

"What?" she asks and I realise I've been staring at her.

"Kari… I'd like to show you something, to tell you something. I think it might help you."

"Okay."

I get up from behind my desk and walk over to my bookshelf. I retrieve the prom picture from behind the bonsai tree and make my way over to the couch.

"Come sit with me Kari."

She gets up slowly, numbly and makes her way to my side. She sits on her hands, as she always does. I hold out the picture for her to see, she pulls her hands out from beneath her and takes it from me.

"That's you."

"Yes."

"Was this at your prom?"

"Yep."

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you, at the time I felt quite ridiculous."

She laughs softly and runs her fingers over the photo.

"Who is he?"

"His name was Edward."

We sit in another one of our awkward silences, then she whispers "why are you showing me this?" I sigh.

"I want you to see that you're not alone. I want to tell you my story."

"Okay."

"When I was seventeen, I moved to Forks in Washington to live with my father. On the first day of school I saw him… Edward. He was inexplicably beautiful, and I had the good fortune to sit beside him in Biology. We got off to a bit of a rocky start; he had a few trust issues. But after a few months we were…"

"You fell in love."

"Well, I think I loved him from the second I saw him, but it just took him a little while to return the sentiment. We dated for a few weeks, and then I had the accident which led to my broken leg in the picture. Edward was distraught; he blamed himself though it was entirely my fault. My stupid, clumsy fault. He wouldn't let me do anything by myself; he would sneak into my room at night just to make sure I slept okay. We never… y'know, he was very old fashioned. He said if we were to ever be that intimate he wanted us to be married first. As you can imagine him saying things like that will get me thinking were in for the long haul…"

"What happened?"

"On my eighteenth birthday, his sister threw me a party. She knew I hated parties but she still did it, bless her. There was an incident… I argued with one of his brothers, it got kinda ugly. The next day he was very distant and none of his family was at school. The day after that he took me for a walk, he told me he was leaving. Not just leaving me, but leaving Forks altogether. He told me that he didn't love me and that I should get over him. And then he was gone. For the next few months, I was just as you are now. I lived in my own little world of misery, ignoring everything and everyone unless I had to. I missed my entire senior year because I was so determined to be numb and not feel the pain. College was the wake up call I needed to get my life back in check, to realise that holding onto him was just hurting me more, that being numb couldn't last forever and that sooner or later, the pain would come."

"So… you want me to just forget about James?"

"No, Kari, no. I want you to realise that pretending it didn't happen is just prolonging the heartbreak you're in. Your life is not just about your love for James. It's about your love for your friends, and for your family, and it's about you going to school and doing the best you can and getting the life that you want. Because holding on, is just going to hold you back."

She nods and a tear escapes her eye. I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, hushing her tears and smoothing her auburn hair.

After a while her sobs decease and she pulls out of my arms. I hand her a tissue from the box on the coffee table and she wipes her face.

"I'd better go."

"Are you sure? If you don't feel up to it yet you can stay a while, I don't have anymore patients."

"No, no I'd better get going. I've got to study."

"Okay."

We stand and I retrieve her coat and bag from the peg by the door for her. She opens the door to leave but then hesitates, turning towards me.

"Thank you, for telling me about him. It helped me."

"I'm glad, and you're welcome. Now go study. And don't forget to spent time with your friends too, it's time to get your life back Kari."

"Okay, thank you Bella, I'll see you next week."

"Bye, Kari."

I watch her get into the elevator and then I close the door.

A/N I know it seems a bit random, but Kari will be important later in the story, and Bella is a therapist so I can't really get through the story without mentioning her work at all. Oh, and Kari's James is not evil-vampire-nomad-James. I just couldn't think of a different name and then James kinda stuck...

Reviews? I'd love it if we could get to twenty :P

And thank you to the people who have offered to smuggle me into the states :P, I'm sure it'll work a treat lol.

Love you guys

Sasha :) xx