CHAPTER 5

MOVING ON

"So what's your story?" Rosalie asked rather brashly.

Lana turned from the TV show the two had been watching and stared at the other vampire.

"It's rather long," she replied, "And vague."

She turned back to the TV.

Rosalie sighed, annoyed. With a huff, she grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

Lana glared at Rosalie and stood up.

The other vampire stood up too, blocking her path.

"Alice and Jasper may trust you, but I don't," Rosalie said.

Lana put her hands on her hips.

"What's your problem?" she demanded. "I haven't even been here for a week and now you're on my case."

Rosalie took a step closer to Lana.

"I've seen the way that Edward has been looking at you," she accused. "He doesn't need this, not now, not ever."

Lana tilted her head to the side.

"So that's what this is all about," she put her hands on her hips. "Is it just me, but does this family's life revolve around Edward and his problems? Cause it sure looks like it."

Rosalie seemed ready to speak but paused.

"I wish it wasn't that way," she said quietly. "But, he doesn't seem to want to let go of the past, not one of us is."

Lana sighed.

"Is this because of that Bella girl?"

Rosalie narrowed her eyes.

"You know about her?"

Lana rolled her eyes.

"We had a little heart to heart in the forest the other day."

"But he never speaks of her," Rosalie said in astonishment.

"Well aren't I the lucky one then," Lana said sarcastically. "All I see is a guy who is wasting his life away. It's quite pathetic you know."

She made to move around Rosalie to make her exit, but the other vampire stayed put.

"How can you say that!" she said angrily, her arms crossed across her chest.

"If you weren't around anymore, would you want your husband to spend the rest of eternity moping and moaning for you?"

When Rosalie didn't reply, Lana rolled her eyes.

"What I'm trying to say, is that I don't think this Bella girl would want him to be wasting his life away for eternity," she smiled slightly. "In fact, I think she would want him to live a little, especially seeing as the sky's the limit with an eternity of possibilities," she raised her hands up, "Just saying."

Rosalie said nothing as she moved out of Lana's way.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun was streaming through the trees and the sky was a bright blue; unusual for this time of the year. He had been watching the scene beyond his window for some time now. It was all he could do these days. Even hunting was a chore. But this, this didn't require him to feel anything like hunting did. He had lost his want to feel when he had rejected Bella over 20 years ago and as pathetic as it seemed, he couldn't manage to get over what he had done to her, nor her apparent death. Life was hell for him and that was putting mildly.

Downstairs he heard a door open and close. Judging from the lack of thoughts, he knew it was the new vampire, Lana. There was something about her that intrigued him. All the similarities she had to his Bella made his heart hope that this Lana was his Bella. But then she would do something or say something that was so un-Bella like, that his heart's hope would be dashed to pieces in seconds.

Clearing his thoughts away for another time, he watched as Lana came into view. As she walked to the other side of the house, he followed her, eventually ending up on the other side of his bedroom. He watched as she sat in the middle of a sunny patch of grass. He watched as she threw back her hair and laid down, her hands behind her head. He watched as she closed her eyes in contentment. She truly was a beauty to behold even if she wasn't his Bella.

He sighed, then tensed up. She was looking at him now and mouthing words at him. Even without the window open, he could understand what she was saying and if he was still human, he would have been blushing like mad, just like Bella used to do when he 'dazzled' her.

"Like what you see?" she asked.

Momentarily speechless, he said nothing as he opened his window.

"The great Edward; speechless," she joked. She sure was happy today.

"I'm anything but great," he responded dismally.

He watched as her smile faltered slightly.

"You have the worst confidence of any vampire I've ever met," she fell back to the grass, this time on her stomach.

He was silent.

She watched him for a few minutes.

"You could be doing so much you know," she remarked. "For all intents and purposes, the world is your oyster," she flopped onto her back, "It sure is mine"

This got a response from Edward.

"Are you really happy doing all those things?" he asked. "What's the point?"

She shook her head and sat up, facing Edward.

"What's your point?" she asked. "Are you saying that the only way to live life is to be miserable and moody to everyone around you?"

For a moment anger flashed in his eyes.

"What the point of living when your love is dead?"

She rolled her eyes as she stood up.

"You could choose to honor her life by living yours."

Edward looked thoughtful as he watched the other vampire disappear from his sight.

"Alice-" she didn't even get to finish.

"You're leaving aren't you?" Alice was in her room organizing her closet, filling it with the clothes they had brought from New York.

Standing at her doorway, Lana crossed her arms across her chest.

"I thought you couldn't read my future?"

Alice smirked.

"I don't have to be able to read your future to know what you're thinking; I figured you wouldn't last a week with it being so quiet and slow here, you are a flighty creature after all."

Lana laughed.

"True," she walked toward Alice and started to help her with the clothes.

"So where are you off to now?" Alice asked.

Lana pulled out a gorgeous deep blue cashmere sweater and admired it a bit before answering.

"I'm thinking Hollywood this time."

Taking the sweater from Lana and placing it on a hanger, Alice smiled.

"I'm sure you'll do great as always."

After putting the clothes away, the two moved to the window and the beautiful sunset beyond.

"What did you think of my family?" Alice said, breaking the silence.

Lana smiled.

"I thought that they were very... interesting... to say the least, but isn't every family like that?"

Alice laughed.

"Your parents are amazing, and Emmett is everything a brother should be" she paused, "But that Rosalie...she's a real piece of work."

Alice tilted her head in acceptance. Some things wouldn't change.

"What about Edward?" Alice asked, "What did you think of him?"

Lana was silent for few minutes.

"I...I'm not sure."

Alice raised her eyebrow.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Lana shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, I feel like I know him more than I should, I mean, I've never met the guy before, but he seems so...oh I don't know."

Alice was silent as she processed the details.

"What are you thinking?" Lana asked.

"I'm thinking that maybe you do know him," Alice said slowly.

Lana scoffed and turned from the window.

"How do you reckon?"

Alice turned to face her.

"Well, from what you told me before, you don't remember much anything from your human life, so it is possible."

"Seriously?" Lana said with her hands on her hips.

Alice sighed.

"Look, you've transformed into members of my family, even Edward's ex. How would you know what they look like if you've never seen them before?" It came out in one big rush as if she had been wanting to pose this question for some time.

Lana grew tense.

"So that's what you and Jasper have been whispering about," she turned to leave.

"Wait! please!" Alice begged, "Just think about it."

Lana sighed.

"Fine."

Then she was gone.

She did have a good point; one that he couldn't deny.

He had been trying to find something that would support the way he had been living his life and nothing he could come up with could go against what she had told him. It made complete sense to him. Bella wasn't coming back, and living in misery for an eternity wouldn't bring her back, nor would killing himself. This would only hurt his family, a family that had stuck by him through thick and thin. He didn't deserve them.

But he could sure try to make up for it. It wouldn't be easy, but he knew it had to be done.

Now that he thought about it, he was ashamed of how he had been wasting his life. Bella would have had a fit with him if she knew. This brought a sad smile to his lips. Sure he had done a tremendous wrong by lying to her and breaking her heart, but that could never be righted. Knowing the kind of girl Bella had been, he knew that even she wouldn't want him punishing himself by being miserable for what he had done. He had had it all wrong. The way to honor Bella was to live a full life, like he had wanted her to live. And that was what he was going to do; starting by apologizing to his family.

He stood up from where he had been sitting for the past few hours and walked toward the door. Taking one glance back at his room, he resolved to fill it up once again with new furniture and music. This was a new beginning.

As he came down the stairs, he noticed that everyone was downstairs. When he finally came to the living room, he saw that they were all just coming back into the house.

When they caught sight of him, looks of surprise were on their faces.

"Edward?" Esme whispered, seemingly afraid that this was just an illusion. He always stayed in his room now days, only leaving through his window when he needed to hunt.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, looking into her eyes sincerely.

Esme's face broke out into a huge smile as she rushed to him and wrapped her arms around in a motherly hug.

"You don't deserve to be treated like the way I've treated you," he said once Esme had let go of him.

"Edward, we understand," Carlisle said similarly hugging him as well.

Emmett walked toward him after Carlisle had stepped back.

"So you're really back then?" he said tentatively.

Edward nodded solemnly.

"Alright man!" he thumped Edward on the back happily.

Edward allowed a smile to grace his face as he looked toward Rosalie.

She was as stony as ever, but slightly softer somehow. She simply nodded at him and took a seat.

Looking into Alice's mind, Edward heard her question.

"Yes it was her," he answered.

The rest of the family took a seat and looked to Edward to explain himself.

"Lana gave me some insights that made me realize how wrong I've been acting," he said. "Where is she?" he added as an afterthought.

Rosalie was the one to answer.

"She just left."

Edward mouthed a silent 'oh' and then changed the subject.

Then, for the first time in a long while, the whole family had a rather pleasant evening talking with and enjoying everyone's company.