Finally she sighed and shook her head. "I don't want you to leave Bella. You've been around so long, I don't know how things would be without you. I think… I think I need to leave for a while. I'm going to go to Denali to see Edward. I need to get a hold of myself. Maybe…when I come back I'll be glad you're here. I think I just need some time to myself. No Emmett, I'm going alone. You stay here with the family," she said to Emmett when he made to get up.
He looked concerned. "Are you sure Rose? I'll come with if you want me to."
She shook her head. "I need to be alone right now. I'll be back sometime, I promise. I just need to get used to the idea of Bella as a part of the family."
Emmett nodded, "alright Rose."
"I'm going to go pack." She headed back upstairs. Emmett followed close behind her.
The rest of us looked at each other. "I'm so sorry," I said suddenly.
Esme came and sat next to me. "For what Bella?"
"I'm ruining your family! First I chased Edward away, now Rosalie."
Esme shook her head, "you didn't chase them away Bella. They left of their own accord. Edward knew that what he did to you was wrong, and Rosalie…I truly think she's trying to reconcile her former hatred of you with her want to make things easier for the family. None of this was your fault."
I nodded, "I just feel like I'm responsible for all of this. Sometimes…I think it would have been better if I'd stayed away like Edward warned me to."
"You're the only one who feels that way Bella. All of us, we love you. Our lives would be far more empty if you had not come into our family," Carlisle replied.
I shrugged, "we'll see. You might decide, after part of the family has been gone longer, that you too wish I'd never come here."
Emmet sighed as he came back downstairs to hear her last words. It appeared that Rose had left without saying good bye. "Come on Bella, lets go hunt, maybe that will cheer you up."
I nodded to him then raced from the room. He was right behind me almost instantly. Our hunting took less than an hour and I eventually just sat down on the slightly damp grass. Emmett flopped down beside me.
"You know Bella, this depression is starting to wear on me," he said.
I arched an exquisite brow, "ah, but I thought my…cheerfulness, my smiles, my laughter, it made you uncomfortable."
He stared at me, "I'd rather see you happy and me uncomfortable than you unhappy and me unhappy."
"I'm sorry I chased Rosalie away," I whispered.
He stared at me incredulously, "that's not why I'm unhappy Bella!" he said, barking with laughter.
"Then why are you unhappy?" I demanded.
He seemed to consider this, "I'm not sure. Maybe it's just because I've gotten used to you being happy, with Edward, and since he left you…you've seemed depressed. I liked it when you were happy, it made me feel like maybe we weren't monsters after all. I mean if a puny human like you can be happy with us, we must be doing something right."
I smiled and watched as this small action caused Emmett to catch his breath.
"You really are breathtaking, you know that don't you?" he asked.
I smiled again, "you don't have to say stuff like that Emmett. Just because I'm a vampire and supposed to look pretty doesn't mean it works on all of us."
It was his turn to frown, "but Bella, you are breathtaking. You're one of the most beautiful vampires I've ever seen! Haven't you even seen yourself yet?" he asked.
I shook my head, "I was afraid to…"
"I'm shocked that Alice didn't drag you over to one. Come with me, you have to see yourself."
Emmett pulled me to my feet and dragged me to the stream. I gasped when I saw the exquisite creature looking back at me. I knew it was me because this person bore an uncanny resemblance to me, but she was more refined, more sculpted, more beautiful in every way. Even her hair was more full, a darker, more beautiful brown, a little longer than before. Her body itself would have been the envy of all women in the world, especially the stars from Hollywood. She was perfectly proportioned, and stood with such grace that it was hard for me to believe that she and I were the same person.
"Oh my god," I whispered, touching my cheek gently and watching as the woman in the stream mimicked my movement.
"I told you," Emmett whispered behind me.
I smiled down into the water and was taken by surprise when I received the same shock that everyone else did when I smiled at them. It really was paralyzing, surprising, heart stopping.
"Emmett," I said, finally looking away from myself. "Do you think Edward and I are over for good?"
I wasn't sure why I had been thinking about this, but after I said it I knew I wanted to hear what Emmett said.
I turned to him as he sighed, "Bella, I don't mean to hurt you, but I don't think you and Edward will ever be together again. Vampires…I don't think I've ever heard of one loving a human. When Edward told us that he loved you, I was completely shocked. I didn't think it was possible. I don't know why he didn't really love you Bella, but I do know that if he didn't when you were human, I don't see how he could now. I'm sorry."
I just nodded, knowing that as a human I might have cried. I had gotten over Edward, but a small part of me still loved him, still longed for him to come back to me.
"Are you alright?" Emmett asked.
I nodded again, "I guess it was a stupid question."
"No it wasn't. Bella, all of us could see how much you loved Edward. We all know that it will take you time to get over him and what he did to you. It wasn't a stupid question, it was one that any person in love would ask."
"Would you ask it? If you and Rosalie weren't together?" I asked curiously.
"I don't know. Sometimes…sometimes I wonder if Rosalie even really loves me. I mean, some of the things she does makes me believe she does, but other things make me believe that she's just using me for her own purposes, because she knows I'll do it."
"Do you love her?" I whispered.
He considered this too, much longer than I would have thought, as he'd been married to her for quite some time. "I don't know anymore. At first, when I was new to this, I'm sure I loved her. Now, I think that maybe we've grown apart, in separate directions. I think a part of me will always care for her, but I don't think I love her like I used to."
I nodded and started walking back toward the house. "Emmett, did you know that Edward and Rosalie were supposed to be together? Carlisle hoped that they would get together after she was changed."
"Yes, Rose told me once. Sometimes I wonder if maybe they were actually meant to be together. They have many of the same traits."
"You know, I've wondered before why you and Rosalie are together. You just seem so…different."
Emmett laughed, "well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black!"