Choices

Sorry it's taken me a little while to update, so much has been going on! But here is your penultimate chapter! Be on the edge of your seats...you have been warned...

Evie was sitting in Rosalie's room twiddling a pen between her fingers. She was supposed to be doing her biology homework but, like she'd been doing every night for a week, she'd been thinking about Edward and where he was.

She was alone as usual pondering over him. Wondering what the outcome was going to be, how life was going to change when he came back. She sighed out loud as she gave up on her work and listened to the sounds of the Cullen mansion as they got on with life without Edward.

Carlisle was away working in the hospital and Esme was playing a piece on the piano as she tried to unwind. Rosalie was out in the garage with the radio turned up fixing up her car, whilst Jasper was manipulating Emmett's emotions for fun outside in the garden. Alice was out of the house as well as she was filling in for Edward by spending time with Bella.

Evie scooped up the bits of paper and her pen and walked into Alice's room to dump it in her bag. Although the house was alive with movement, Evie felt detached from it all, it didn't seem right without Edward, this house didn't seem like home anymore. Solemnly she made her way to his room just to try and get some sort of reminder of him, whether it was to play the last cd he listened to, or the last book he read. She had to do something to remind herself that he used to be here.

As she turned the doorknob and took two paces into his room she gave out a silent cry as she found a figure sitting on the black leather sofa with 'Anthony and Cleopatra' playing on the TV.

He looked over at her with bright topaz eyes and gave a wide smile.

"Edward!" she managed to choke out as she stood frozen on the spot. "You're back."

"It's been a long week." He sighed as he beckoned her over to sit with him. He rubbed his face with hand and then ran it through his bronze coloured hair.

"The longest..." Evie replied still in awe, she couldn't believe he was back; this moment was too good to be true.

"Did you miss me?" he asked as he grinned at her dazed expression.

"I...er..." she blinked twice to make sure he was here and then grabbed his arm to make sure he wasn't a dream. He looked down at the contact and then pulled her into a bone-crushing hug that would rival Emmett's.

It was then the realisation sank in, he was home, he'd made his choice.

She breathed in his scent and choked out over the tears,

"You don't know how much I've missed you."

"I'm glad to hear it." He replied, unable to let go of her, it felt like years since their last time together, but he was back and right here it felt like home.

"Where did you go?" she asked as she felt his arms release her, his hand slid from her shoulder into her hand and his grip was like a vice, he never wanted to let go of her ever again.

"Here and there." He shrugged "Europe, then I spent a little time in India and I was in China when I finally made my choice."

Evie took a sharp intake of breath in a Bella-like fashion. Now she was trapped in a mind filled with questions. Had he come to her first to break the news that she wasn't the one? Or had he come to her first to let her know that she was his choice? If it was the former, was he holding her like this to delay the outcome? Or was it the latter? He was showing this affection to show that he was never going to break their bond ever again.

She didn't know. She was so confused but the answers were fast approaching.

"So what was your conclusion?" she asked hesitantly.

He looked up from underneath his eyelashes and stroked her cold skin slowly. Evie started to fidget in her seat; this was the worst form of torture, delaying the answer.

"Well..." she urged.

"You're a little eager." He laughed lightly as the corners of his mouth turned up in a radiant smile.

"I'd rather know my fate sooner rather than later." She replied testily as she began to fidget even more, but still he sat there passively, drawing out the answer for as long as possible as she squirmed like a child waiting to open their birthday present.

"Should I make you wait?" he teased.

"Seriously Edward, I need to know."

"Ok, I'm being serious now." He replied taking his hands away from hers.

As she watched him take his hand from her own, Evie felt that if her heart were still beating, it would've been beating a thousand miles per hour. She couldn't wait much longer, she were going to explode from impatience. Internally she was repeating the same thing over and over again to stop herself from feeling heartbroken.

"He's picked Bella...He's picked Bella...He's picked-"

"Evie?" Edward shouted in a louder voice.

"Huh?" she asked disorientated, he'd said the answer and she'd missed it. Not that it was any different from the choice in her head.

"Did you not hear me?"

"You picked Bella, right? I'm so happy for you both; I know you're the prefect couple...even if you are going to keep her human which I think is stupid..."

"Evie will you stop?" Edward interrupted as he put a hand over her mouth to muffle the ramblings.

She looked at him with wide eyes as she tried to hold back the tears; she had to pack straight away. She couldn't be around him any longer, Bella was all he needed in the world now she was rendered as useless, and there wasn't room for a best friend who loved him, it wouldn't work.

"Just listen to me this time; I'm going to explain everything." He told her sternly as he took his hand away from her mouth; he brushed her lips gently with his fingertips as he placed it on his leg.

She nodded wishing he wouldn't repeat the answer or go into detail; her stomach was rolling as she tried to fight back the tears, how she wanted Esme to comfort her right now.

"When Bella called me on Monday I was taken aback from what she'd said to me." He started. "She informed me that you two had had a heart to heart. You told her about the conditions of my choice if I picked her..."

"I only thought that she'd be clued in." Evie admitted.

"She told me that she won't change if I pick her. She said that all that mattered is my happiness."

"Wow, she did listen to me."

"Look, I'm trying to explain here."

"Sorry, please continue."

"After that call I reconsidered my initial decision because I remembered what you said to me the night I left."

"I said a lot of things, mainly that you should choose Bella."

"Well yes, but you said that I made you happy."

"What's that got to do anything?"

"You also said that you'd rather me not know that you loved me because I would've been happier. That's the kind of sacrifice that I can't imagine Bella ever doing."

"It's only because Bella loves you with her heart and her soul, she wouldn't sacrifice you for anything in the world."

"But you'd be willing to let me go. That's the true form of love, showing the person you love that you are willing to let them go so that they would be happy."

"So what are you saying?"

"I chose you Evie."

"Me?"

"I chose you because you are willing to put me before anyone else, and I likewise. Seventy years without your soul mate is long enough in my opinion." He said looking into her shocked eyes, "But I will only be with you if you want me. I would follow you to the end of the earth just so I could spend every moment I can with you, I've lost too much time, and I need to start regaining it now."

"Are you sure?" Evie whispered.

"I've never been more sure in my life." He smiled warmly.

She jumped forward and kissed him with the passion that they'd both been holding back for different reasons.

It felt so right as their lips fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, hands in each other's hair and breathing as heavy as if they'd been swimming the Atlantic Ocean at top speed.

As they broke apart Evie's eyes flashed to the outside world.

"Have you been to see Bella?" she asked.

"I thought it would be best if you came along." He replied "I need you to be there to distract her mind from hurting. I know this is going to tear her apart."

"Alice is there already." Evie informed him.

"Alice has probably foreseen my decision and is trying to get Bella as calm as possible before the inevitable happens."

"She's so fragile..."

"She's stronger than she knows. She'll get through this just like last time."

"Edward, last time you left her because you feared for her safety. This time you're running off with another woman, not to mention the fact that I am also a vampire. It's a little different."

"The rest of the family are staying here when we leave. They'll be able to help Bella; I know how much they all love her."

"This is your choice so I'm saying nothing more. I just wish this was all different."

"If you don't want me Evie, just say."

"I want you. Forever. But I just can't help but feel sorry for Bella."

"We knew from the first kiss that none of this was going to be easy. Now that we've approached the end, I think all this hurt has been drawn out long enough to postpone it any longer."

"I agree. But none of us know how Bella's going to react."

"We'll take it as it comes." He replied as he kissed her cheek. "Let's get a move on."

The couple silently made their way out from the Cullen mansion and headed towards Bella's house to deliver the heartbreaking news.

However on their way they ran into an unexpected figure standing between the grass and the forest on the way to Bella's.

Evie wrinkled her nose in disgust as she looked at the bulky figure in repugnance.

"Jacob." Edward replied curtly.

"Back from your trip?" Jacob asked as he looked at both vampires, anger boiling within as his hands shook on the verge of morphing into his werewolf form.

"How nice of you to ask." Edward replied as he tried to remain civil. "Who told you?"

"Charlie told Billy and Billy told me. I remembered the conversation that Bella and I had last week and I started to put the two pieces together."

"What have you deducted then?"

"You're choosing this bloodsucker over Bella. That's why she's with you isn't it? Otherwise she'd be on her way back to wherever she came from, wouldn't she?"

"Very insightful, for a dog." Evie snapped, unable to control herself.

"Watch your mouth bloodsucker; I might just rip it off." Jacob spat.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Evie. Stop it. He's young, he can't control himself yet." Edward said as he took her wrist.

"If she wants to challenge me, don't stop her." Jacob smiled maliciously.

"You know what Edward, I'm hungry. I'll just go and get something to eat, Bella smells quite tasty doesn't she?" Evie teased Jacob as the smile dropped from his face.

"She said you were a vegan or something..." he replied uncertainly. "He wouldn't let you bite her, neither would I."

"He's chosen me over her, who's to say I can't have my dinner now?" she pushed knowing that Jacob was at morphing point. Edward's grip around her wrist and became tighter.

Jacob gave out a loud roar and his wolf form burst from under his skin.

He snarled and ran straight for Evie.

"Evie NO!" Edward shouted out as she began to sprint off with Jacob snapping after her.

"I've got it under control!" she shouted back with a laugh.

She distracted Jacob into thinking there were two of her and as she ran back toward Edward, her other self ran towards the forest. Jacob became confused and decided to go after the one that was going towards the forest.

As she returned to Edward's side she smiled.

"That was fun." She giggled.

"Are you deliberately trying to give me a heart attack as hard as that sounds."

"He's an idiot, how dare he call us bloodsuckers."

Two figures emerged from the forest with eyes both wide with shock and worry and Evie started to cringe. Maybe her plan was a stupid idea.

Now Bella was in danger.

They raced over to them, Bella more breathless that Alice.

"What's going on?" Alice asked frantically, "we heard a roar and we thought someone was in danger."

"Evie decided to annoy Jacob." Edward told them as he looked around making sure Jacob wasn't coming back.

"What were you thinking?" Alice screamed at her.

Bella just couldn't keep her eyes away from Edward, he was back.

"Why did you bring Bella out here?" Edward asked hysterically. "It's not safe."

"Jacobs fine." Bella replied calmly after her experience with the werewolves a year ago. "And I wanted to see if it was the Volturi."

"She wouldn't let me leave without her." Alice explained.

"Well we need to get back to Bella's whilst Jacob's stalking around looking for Evie." Edward told them all. "Let's get going."

As they made their way through the woods, with Bella on Edward's back, Evie was at the rear as she insisted that she'd be fine even though Edward disagreed with her.

"He'll be following my double for the rest of the night." She told him in confidence.

"Are you strong enough to do that?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes I am. Now hurry up."

When they were about thirty metres from Bella's house, Jacob appeared out of nowhere and took Evie straight off of her feet.

"You're mine bloodsucker." He said mentally before biting down hard on her neck.

Evie gave out a piercing scream as she found part of her neck missing, and watched in mute horror as Jacob's wolf head leant down and took another bite and another from her body.

"Evie!" Edward shouted, but Alice held him back.

Evie had made this decision as soon as she'd seen Jacob standing in the field.

She was going to let herself die so that Bella and Edward could be together without anymore complications.

Romantic as it was sad, they watched as Jacob tore her piece by piece till there was not much left of her body.

Exhausted, Jacob ran into the night satisfied with his kill.

Bella stood with a look of horror on her face and Edward let silent tears fall from his eyes.

"She hasn't got long left." Alice told him in a monotone voice. She took Bella from his back and ran back to the house.

He needed his last moments with Evie alone.

Uninterrupted, unlike the rest of the limited time they'd had together.

Hankies at the ready for the last chapter.

Reviews mean love you know...and i would love it if this story got 200 reviews before it finishes. I would be extatic if that happened.

So happy reviewing/favouriting/alerting! :) (only if you want to)