"Hey there beautiful," Edward smiled as he walked into his bed room.
"Where'd you go?" Bella asked, propping herself up against the plush pillows of Edward's bed.
"Esme called they're heading out on the road now."
"Oh," Bella frowned.
"I know beautiful, I wish we could stay here all day," Edward sighed as he collapsed onto the mattress beside her.
"Who says we can't?" Bella asked as she snuggled close to him, resting her head on his sculpted chest.
"I am pretty sure that members of either one of our families will come looking for us eventually," he said as he wrapped his strong arms around her.
"I'm not worried about them, I'd sacrifice anything to spend all day with you like this." He whispered as he buried his face in her hair.
"I think we have done enough sacrificing lately."
"Bella, don't worry about anything. Things have been going fine, we needed that balance in order to make the work and relationship aspect of our lives work and we've found it."
"I suppose you're right," she sighed heavily.
"Bella, I want you to understand something okay?" He paused as he propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her. "When I said that I love you and that I will do whatever I need to do to help make this work, I meant every single word of it."
"You're perfect, you know that?" She smiled and pulled the sheets of his bed closer to her. "It's still amazing to me that I ended up with someone as perfect as you."
"I wouldn't go that far…"
"Edward, just be quiet and take the compliment."
"You might have to make me," he grinned.
"I think I can handle that." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers before he had a chance to respond.
"Edward, get up now!"
"What in the fuck are you doing Alice?" Edward groaned as he shielded his eyes from the early morning sun that was beginning to find its way through his bedroom window.
"We're getting out of here," she said as she stepped into his closet and emerged from it only moments later with a pile of clothes in her arms.
"What do you mean 'we', and where exactly are we going?" He muttered as he sat up, pulling his blanket closer to his chest.
"We are going to get the love of your life back," she said and threw the clothes at him.
"Are we really now?" He scoffed. "And how exactly are we planning on doing that?"
"Emmett called this morning," Alice said as she plopped down at the foot of his bed. "He heard from his mother. Bella called her to use her address for proof of residency, apparently she and Jake are settling in at University of Arizona."
"And this is supposed to motivate me how?" He said, tossing the clothes in her direction.
"We need to get her before it's too late!" Alice exclaimed. "Why don't you see that?"
"It is too late Alice, why don't YOU see that?!" Edward hollered, climbing out of bed quickly.
"You are so irritating," Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You have an opportunity before Jacob does anything more drastic and you won't do it. I know I have told you all of this before, that's not the point. I was just hoping that you'd get it eventually, and if I tried hard enough it would eventually sink into your think head. You know what though? I don't feel like doing it anymore." She hopped off of the bed and brushed past him, turning around to face him once she was in the hallway. "You want to sit here and pretend that she doesn't mean anything to you and that this doesn't hurt then fine. Go right ahead."
"Alice," Edward grabbed onto his sisters arm to keep her from heading down the stairs. "Please don't go. I'm sorry okay? I haven't slept well since Bella left."
"All the more reason to go get her," Alice smiled up at him. "I don't think we can stand you cranky ass anymore."
"So what exactly are you proposing here?"
"Well I don't know really," Alice muttered as she fiddled with her wedding ring. "All I know is that Jasper is parked downstairs and we've got a car full of supplies. I figured we would just get on the road and go from there."
"What about when we get there?"
"Find her and bring her back," Alice shrugged.
"I don't think its that easy," Edward chuckled.
"It is, stop over thinking it and just go. Think of it either as closure if she doesn't go with it or the door that opens to the next stage of your life if she does." Alice sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "That's all I got. I know it's a shitty argument, but frankly that's the only way I can put it."
"If this doesn't work, I get to tell you I told you so right?"
"I would owe you that much at least," she smiled. "Does that mean you want to give my crazy plan a shot?"
"I guess," he sighed heavily. "You'll keep getting on me until I did anyway."
"You're probably right," she squeezed his arm before heading down the stairs. "Hurry up, you have ten minutes."
Edward chuckled and headed back into his room, changing into the clothes that Alice had handed to him earlier. He grabbed a few more shirts and a pair of jeans out of his closet and tossed them into his empty book bag.
"There is absolutely no way to pack for this," he muttered as he stuffed a few more of the necessities into the book bag. "Why pack if she is just going to throw me out on my ass as soon as we get there?"
"Edward, stop talking to yourself, get your shit together and let's go!" Alice hollered as she walked by his room.
"I thought you were supposed to be in the car?"
"Just making sure you aren't going to chicken out," she said as she stopped in his doorway. "Now come on, it's time to hit the road."
Edward sighed and zipped his book bag shut, slinging it over his shoulder on his way out of the room.
"You ready to do this?" Jasper asked once Edward climbed into the backseat.
"I don't know, now I feel sick." Edward groaned as his head fell against the headrest.
"Its motion sickness, you'll be fine." Alice said as she buckled herself in.
"We aren't moving."
"We are now, so be quiet." She smiled at him triumphantly as Jasper steered the car down the long drive way.
"God, what am I doing?" Edward groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.
"You aren't doing anything, he's and I'm…"
"…Getting on my nerves."
"You will thank me when this is all said and done, don't you forget that." Alice warned, pointing a finger at him.
"I hate it when you say shit like that," he muttered as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Why, because I'm always right?" Alice grinned as she peered over the back of her seat.
"Well that's just fucking scary now that you brought that up, but no that's not what I was thinking . I hate it because it gives this feeling of hope, which sometimes makes me feel like I'm kidding myself when things have a good chance of not working out the way I'd like them to."
"Calm down Edward," Jasper said calmly as he glanced quickly back at Edward before turning his brown eyes back to the road. "If you over think this it just make it harder on you."
"I don't think things could get any harder on me," Edward groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "I've just about lost my mind and your 'extra senses' aren't helping me."
"They got you in the car didn't they?" Alice winked at she peered at her brother, who was now slouched down in the backseat.
"Alice, please…"
"I'm just saying Edward," Alice said as she threw her hands up in defense. "What are you worrying yourself about so bad anyway? You know as soon as she sees you and you tell her what really happened that night…everything will be fine!"
"You forgot about Jacob," Edward frowned. "He has a lot of influence on her, and whatever he's told her and done to her…I don't know if that's something that I can overcome or not."
"If you love her Edward, then that is all you need." Jasper said with a simple nod.
They're both so full of hope, how doesn't that happen?
Edward sighed and let his head fall back against the seat, deciding it best to keep his thoughts to himself so that the argument wouldn't drag itself out any longer than it needed to.
His troubled thoughts eventually drifted him into a deep yet restless sleep. All of the possibilities or scenarios that plagued his mind came at him full force. He could see them pulling up to Renee's house and seeing Jacob on the porch with Bella. Jacob's strong arms would be wrapped around her waist as they sat on the porch swing, with huge smiles on their faces. Who is he to go there and ruin her happiness, the happiness that had led her out of the state to find?
Sure it wasn't a guarantee that that would be the case, yet with what he had seen of Jacob before…he wasn't a force to reckon with. He was going to take advantage of Edward's mess up, that much he knew. He knew Jacob would play off of the idea that Edward had been involved with Tanya more than what he presented to her.
Sly piece of shit, the thought rang strong through his troubled dreams.
"Edward, wake up."
A groan escaped Edward's lips as he felt a strong push against his ribs. His eyes opened to meet his sister's bright and anxious looking eyes.
"Don't tell me that we are here already," he rubbed his eyes before sitting up.
"Nope, just a pit stop sorry. Figured you could use a chance to get out of this car," Alice shrugged. "Are you hungry?"
"No," Edward said while shaking is head. "Not even a little bit."
"You should eat something so you don't pass out when you see her."
"I have a feeling that I will do that anyway," he muttered and slid out of the car. "You two go ahead, I'm going to take a walk around this place and stretch my legs."
"Okay," Alice agreed hesitantly. " I'll bring you something back."
Edward remained silent as Alice offered him a smile before turning on her heels and running to catch up with Jasper.
"God, what am I doing?" He muttered to himself once she was far enough away from him, "This trip is absurd."
His question remained unanswered as his brown eyes darted around the sparsely populated rest stop. A few cars included their own were scattered throughout the parking lot, while a few people took advantage of the walking paths that surrounded the building.
He reached into the pocket of his dark blue denim jeans as he walked down the path, searching through his directory before hitting the 'send' button.
"What do you want?" An angry, and male voice answered after just two rings.
"Jacob," Edward said glumly. "What are you doing with Bella's phone?"
"That's not really that important is it?" Jacob snapped, "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to Bella," Edward said firmly.
"She doesn't want to talk to you, I thought you would have figured that out by now."
"I think that's something I'd like to hear out of her own mouth if you don't mind."
"Well this is as good as it's going to get for you Cullen," Jacob paused as a loud slamming noise sounded.
"She's there isn't she?" Edward said, trying to keep the air moving in and out of his lungs as his heart rate increased. "Let me talk to her Jake."
"It's Jacob," he snarled. "And no, you cannot talk to her. She's finally calmed down after all of that shit you put her through. She's fine and settling into life fine here. I wont have you ruining that for her, especially in her state."
"Her state, what do you mean by her state?"
"Goodbye Edward, and do us all a favor and don't call again."
"God damn it!" Edward shouted as Jacob hung up. "What in the hell is that guys problem?"
He sighed and put the cell phone back in his pocket, there was no point in trying to call her again. It was a huge mistake to try in the first place or so Alice had told him. The more he stayed under the radar, the less of a chance there would be of Jacob catching on and moving her again.
"Edward!" A faint shout reached his ears, causing him to turn around quickly.
Alice stood at the start of the path, waving her hands in the air in an effort to get his attention. He hadn't realized he had gone that far, the anger that Jacob shot through him had carried his feet at a fast and anxious pace.
"What have you been doing out there?" Alice asked, handing him a brown paper bag. "I got you a sandwich."
"I tried to call Bella," Edward frowned. "Jacob answered and ripped me a new one."
"I told you not to call her Edward. He's only going to get more protective every time you try and call her."
"I know, I know. I just wanted to hear her, just to remind me why I'm doing this."
"Pull out that little box that's in her pocket and remind yourself why," Alice smiled. "Let's get out of here."
"If you say so," Edward muttered just quiet enough so Alice wouldn't hear him.
You better be right sister dear.