Disclaimer...I dont own Twilight I just stole some of the dialouge...its in italics...thanks to Stephanie Meyer for that one...read on
It was quiet when I began to drift back to reality. I could hear soft voices just beyond my grasp. I worked hard to regain consciousness.
I needed Edward. He had been so close a few- what? - Hours, minutes, seconds, days ago?
I didn't know where I was, when I was, or who I was with. As I slowly woke up I felt a pair of cold arms around me. Relief flooded through me when I realized that I was with Edward. My eyelids began to flutter and I slowly opened them fully. Edward sat there, beautiful as ever, watching me with anxious eyes.
"Edward, I-" I began to speak slowly, not sure what I was trying to say. He silenced me by placing a finger over my lips.
"Please, Bella. Just relax. You've had a long day." Edward spoke in a whisper.
I didn't need much convincing to relax. I could feel what little strength I had left ebb away. I sank back into Edwards arms, letting him support me, and I realized that we weren't in the lobby of the castle in Volterra. Edward and I were sitting in the back of a dark car and Alice was driving. I looked out the tinted windows and realized that it was twilight. I watched as the trees flashed by too quickly on the side of the road, and sighed contentedly. Edward misinterpreted it and looked down at me with anxious eyes.
"Bella?" his voice matched his dark gold eyes.
"I'm alright." I sighed these words and they came out strung together, to form a new, unintelligible word. Edwards's arms tightened around me and he whispered in my ear.
"It's alright Bella, you can sleep. The danger is gone"
I didn't want to sleep but knew it was inevitable, at least for a little while. I nodded my head sleepily against Edward's hard shoulder and fell into a light sleep.
I couldn't tell if I was semi-conscious or not, but I faintly heard Edward and Alice discussing plane tickets and the quickest flights home. I assumed we were still in the car because I could hear the quiet purr of the engine and feel Edwards arms wrapped protectively around me. I looked up at him to find him staring at me. A seraphic smile lit up his features when he looked down at me. I smiled back, not quite as brilliantly, and snuggled closer to him. I felt his icy cold lips press into my hair, and I let out another contented sigh.
We had to be getting close to the airport by now, with as crazy as Alice had been driving. And yet, with the crazy driving, thirsty vampires, and near death experiences that had filled my day, I felt relieved that we had gone through it all. I had Edward back, and that was reason enough to go through all that I had today ten times over. The relief, contentment, and safety I felt here in his arms were enough for now.
Alice pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. Edward leaned across me and opened the door and got out, lifting me with me in his arms. He set me gently on the sidewalk and together, the three of us set off into the airport to head home. Alice approached the counter swiftly and purchased three tickets. Edward stood with his arms around my waist, keeping me stable, even though I was fully awake, for the time being. He could see that I had very little energy left in me and that I could use all the help I could get. I noticed as Alice danced back toward us, that she had my bag in her hand. She noticed me looking and handed it to me. Alice handed Edward her credit card and told him to get some new clothes, the ones he was wearing were shredded and dirty. She took me by the hand and we walked off to a bathroom, to change our clothes, and to allow me to brush my teeth.
After our quick stop in the bathroom, we headed off to find Edward. He was sitting at a table in a café a little ways down from us, looking brilliant in his blue t-shirt that sported the words Rome, Italy.
I was shocked. Had we really driven all the way from Volterra to Rome in such a short amount of time? As soon as Edward saw us walking back, he sprang lightly from his seat and wrapped his arms back around me. He led us over to his café table and sat us down, pulling my chair directly next to his. His arms didn't release me for a second. Alice sat across from us as the waitress came to take our order. Edward and Alice politely turned down the waitresses offer to bring them something, and I asked for a bagel. The waitress turned with one last glimpse at Edward and headed off to grab my food. Edward pulled me closer to his side and pressed his lips against my forehead.
Once I was finished with my bagel, the three of us got up and headed to our boarding gate. Edward sat down, pulling me onto his lap. Alice sat a few chairs away from us, talking to Jasper in a quiet voice on her cell phone.
After about ten minutes, the speaker announced that our flight was boarding. Edward pulled me onto the plane and sat me down. I took the window seat and he sat on the outside. He moved the arm rest up so that there wasn't any space between us. The flight attendants made their rounds and closed the doors as the captain came over the loud speaker and announced, in several different languages, that we were taking off. The relief I felt once the plane lifted itself from the ground was immense. I was finally getting away from this place. Under other circumstances, I would have been sad to go but not now. Finally leaving gave me a feeling of peace, and contentment. I snuggled closer into Edwards embrace and fell asleep.
As I slept, I dreamed. Edward and I were alone, in our meadow, and the words he spoke to me the day he left flooded back to me.
"You…don't…want me?" I tried out the words, confused by the way they sounded, placed in that order. "No."He looked away into the trees as he spoke again.
"Of course I will always love you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that its time for a change. Because I'm… because I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I'm not human." He looked back, and the icy planes of his perfect face were not human. "I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."
"Don't." My voice was just a whisper now; awareness was beginning to seep through me, trickling like acid through my veins. "Don't do this."
He just stared at me, I could see from his eyes that my words were far too late. He already had.
"You're not good for me, Bella."
"Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice.
"Wait!" I choked out the word, reaching for him, willing my deadened legs to carry me forward. I thought he was reaching for me, too. But his cold hands locked around my wrists and pinned them to my sides. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest second. My eyes closed.
"Take care of yourself," He breathed, cool against my skin. There was a light, unnatural breeze. My eyes flashed open. The leaves on the small vine maple shuddered with the gentle wind of his passage.
He was gone.
My eyes snapped open, and I felt myself gasp involuntarily. I realized that I was shaking from head to toe. Edwards's eyes were alarmed. His breathing visibly sped up as I looked up at him, horrorstruck.
"Bella! Bella what's wrong?"
I looked around and saw people walking off of the plane. I realized then that the reason I had woken up was not only because of the dream, but because the plane had landed in Paris, our layover destination.
I took the opportunity for what it was, and bolted from the plane, leaving Edward stunned in his seat.
As I ran, I thought. I couldn't believe I had forgotten the whole reason he left. He didn't want me then. He wouldn't want me now. How was I so stupid to believe that things would change just because he saw me again? How naïve.
Tears streamed down my face and my stomach churned. I had to get away from Edward and fast. I saw a bathroom to my right and bolted inside. It was empty, thank goodness. I then proceeded to lose whatever substances had been in my stomach. I heard the door open and I sagged against the floor, my back against the stall door.
On some level, I realized I was sobbing, and I was sobbing hard. I heard a soft knock on the door and knew that Alice was outside. The first time Edward had left, it had taken forever for me to cry. Now, the flood gates opened automatically as that knowledge sunk in. I would be alone again. He would leave me, just as he had before. The hole in my heart ached, more than it ever had before. It ripped my chest wide open and I couldn't breathe. Before I knew it, Alice was there pulling me out of the stall and into her stone arms. I cried harder at this.
Alice would leave too. If Edward left, why would Alice stay? I felt myself collapse again. The pain overwhelmed me and I fell to the floor, my head whirling. I heard Alice calling my name from far away but I couldn't say anything back. Everything was gone. My love, my life, and now even my voice. I was a hollow shell of a person, and I knew that once Edward left, my life would be over. There would be no reason to live. I had lost him once and I knew that I couldn't face it again, let alone survive it. I looked back into Alice's glossy golden eyes and I saw my reflection. I looked as empty as I felt. My eyes were dead.
I stood up slowly, backing away from Alice, using the counter for support. I washed my hands and my face and walked out of the bathroom. Edward was waiting outside and I walked right past him, not looking at him. I knew if I did, I wouldn't make it five more feet. I'd crumble right there in the middle of the Paris airport. I heard Edward call my name and didn't even look back. Alice called his name and he saw exactly what she had seen. I heard him take in a sharp breath and heard them start to speak in low, rapid voices. I couldn't make sense of it even if I had wanted to.
I looked at all of the boards where the flights were posted, and saw which gate our flight would leave from. I walked over to that terminal and curled up in one of the chairs, pulling my knees up to my chest. I tucked my head into my knees and inhaled deeply. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the whole plane ride home. Then it hit me. Edward and I had sat together on the way here, Alice by herself. All I had to do was switch seats with Alice and I would be fine. I didn't think sitting by Edward would help at all. While he calmed me whenever I was near him, sitting by him would not be a good idea. Sure it would calm me for the next few hours but what about when he left? Spending more time with him would just make it harder.
I had to try and detach myself from this whole situation. I would work to be normal for Charlie when I got home, face his rage for my leaving, and do my time like the good little girl I was. It was like the last few months had started all over again. I decided then that I would live for Charlie.
I felt a pair of large cool hands on my hair, stroking my head trying to call me down. I realized then that I was shaking with silent sobs. I also realized these hands were not Alice's and that made the tears fall faster and the sobs harder. I turned my head away from him, still hidden in my knees and he withdrew his hand. He didn't leave though. He sat next to me as I cried and, despite my best efforts, I was comforted that he was there. If only that were enough.