A/N: Outfits in this chapter are the links below. Don't forget to remove the spaces.
Bella's going away party outfit: http : / i54 . tinypic . com / o5b1p5 . jpg
Tanya's going away party outfit: http : / i55 . tinypic . com / 9zy2h1 . jpg
Chapter Twenty Eight – (Facing your Fears)
BPOV
I wake to the pulsing sound of the alarm on my radio clock. I groan in frustration as I roll over and turn it off. Thank god today is my last day working at the diner and then I'm on vacation leave. A yawn escapes me as I roll onto my back and rub my eyes. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before dragging myself out of bed. I pull my sleeping shirt off over my head as I walk into the bathroom, still half asleep. I take the rest of my clothes off before turning on the shower and hopping inside. I rest my forehead on the tile walls, a content sigh escaping my lips as the water hits my back and rushes down the rest of my body, loosening my muscles.
Once I've finished showering, I wrap a towel around my body and walk into my bedroom. I put on my bra and panties, throwing my towel over my desk chair before walking over to my closet. I pull out my works shirt and skirt off their hangers and put them on. I pick up my black vans from the bottom of my closet and put them on as well. I grab my handbag that's hanging on the back of my door and my truck keys, phone and lip gloss, putting them inside before walking out of my room and out of the front door.
"Excuse me, miss?" I look up to the customer sitting in a booth, I smile at her politely as I walk over to her,
"How can I help you?" I ask.
"I don't mean to be a bother, but I ordered a cappuccino, not black coffee," she says kindly. My eyes go wide as I look over my order notes.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'll fix that right up for you, ma'am," I tell her, picking up the coffee.
"Oh, it's okay, dear. A simple mistake," she replies kindly, giving me a reassuring smile before I walk away.
I head into the kitchen, emptying the contents into the sink. I bite my bottom lip as I feel Garrett's gaze on me.
"Something wrong with the order?" he asks.
"No, no. I just stuffed up, sorry. It won't happen again," I reply quietly, completely embarrassed.
"Hey, it's alright, Bells. It's your first mistake. Don't worry about it," he says reassuringly. "What did you stuff up anyway?" he asks.
"She ordered a cappuccino, not a black coffee," I mumble, annoyed with myself. I lean back against the counter and pinch the bridge of my nose, letting out a deep breath. My head has been all over the place the whole time I've been at work.
I can't stop thinking about the letter I sent to Edward. I don't know if it was the right or wrong thing to do. What if it just makes him feel worse about my departure? And because all I can think about is him, my head is just constantly filled with all these memories of him and the time we spent together. I replay the time I left, over and over again in my head, trying to figure out where I went wrong. He knew my heart more than I did – he was always comforting me and making me feel better about myself. I wish I could change how I reacted when he told me he loved me. I wish I could go back in time and wrap my arms around him, hold him close, and tell him I love him too. More than anything else in the world. But I can't.
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as the tears well up in my eyes and threaten to fall. I wipe at my eyes quickly before Garrett can notice.
Too late.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks, concern clear in his voice. "It was a simple mistake, Bells." He adds before walking over to me and rubing his hands up and down my arms, trying to comfort me.
"No, it's not that," I reply, my voice shaky from emotion.
"What is it?"
"My heads just all over the place today. I'm sorry," I mumble.
"It's okay. Why don't you head home early?" he asks, lifting my chin up with his forefinger so I can meet his gaze. I give him a small smile and nod my head before taking another deep breath. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, squeezing me to him. I wrap my arms around his waist, returning the gesture as a sigh of relief escapes my lips.
He goes back to making the other orders while I make the lady's cappuccino. I carry it out to her carefully and place it in front of her. I smile kindly at her and she returns the gesture. I must have red splotchy eyes or something because she looks at me with concern before speaking.
"I hope I'm not the reason that made you cry, sweetheart."
"Oh no, it wasn't you. I'm just going through a few personal things at the moment," I reassure her.
"Well, I hope I didn't make things worse," she says empathetically.
"You didn't," I reply, smiling at her before walking away.
I remove my apron as I make my way out to the back room. I hang it up on the back of the door. I grab my hand bag and head into the kitchen to say goodbye to Garrett before I leave. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and another quick hug. The lady I served waves at me as I make my way through the diner. I return the gesture before walking out the front door and heading to my truck.
I go straight to my room when I arrive home, walking straight pass Tanya sitting on a stool in the kitchen. I get changed into a pair of grey tights and black hoodie jumper. When I walk back out to the kitchen, Tanya looks at me, her eyes filled with concern. I make a cup of tea before sitting on the couch. She stays seated on her stool.
"Why are you home early? What's wrong?" she asks softly, worry clear in her voice.
"My head was all over the place. Garrett sent me home," I mumble.
"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?"
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning on my side to face her, resting my head on the couch.
"Ever since what happened between Alec and I, I've been thinking about Edward, a lot. And about the letter I sent him. How do I know if he got it? Or if he even bothered to read it? I didn't put a return address on there. What if he hates me?" I ask her, my voice quiet.
"You seriously need to calm down. I'm sure he doesn't hate you."
"But what I did to him was horrible. I hate that I put him through exactly what I was put through. Charlie was right; I'll always manage to drive everyone away, I always screw everything up," I mumble.
"Bella, it isn't your fault that your mother left you and your father, no matter what your father may say. I doubt he means any of the things he says. He's hurting because his wife left him and his daughter. Yeah, it's fucked up that he started neglecting you and blaming you but no father should ever lay his hand on his child. But I'm sure deep down inside he still loves you and is just blinded by his pain," she says sincerely before walking over and sitting next to me on the couch. She places her hand on top of mine and gives it a light squeeze. I look up at her, meeting her gaze. I nod my head at her, silently telling her to continue.
"As for Edward, it's clear to me that he still means a lot to you and you miss him. Like I told you before, you've been hiding away from your fears. The only way out is to face everything you're running from. So, If you want, we can go back to Forks so you can face your demons. I know you're doing okay and you're happy here, but you won't be one hundred percent happy unless you work everything out with Edward," she adds.
"But I can't just up and leave everyone here – Garrett is like a brother to me now. And Kate, she's helped me so much. I can't just leave," I reply, my voice quiet. I rest my head on her shoulder. She wraps her arm around me so I'm leaning on her chest.
"They'll understand. And it's not like you won't be in contact with them at all. You'll call and text them, write to them. We can even visit them and they can come to Forks," she says encouragingly.
"What am I meant to do about my living arrangements? I honestly can't stand being anywhere near my father or that house, not that he would even notice I'm back. I doubt he even realized I was gone until someone mentioned it to him. He stopped acknowledging my presence a long time ago."
"Don't worry about the living arrangements, you're not going back alone, remember? I'm coming with you. My aunt owns a little cottage in the forest that we can live in while we're there," she says confidently.
"You didn't tell me you had family in Forks," I reply, shocked.
"Yeah, I forgot to mention that, not something I really like to talk about. Family drama and all that, and anyway, I'm sure that's not true about your father. Maybe he didn't find out until a few days later? You said he was having Thanksgiving at Harry's house and then spending the weekend down there."
"Yeah, maybe. But I highly doubt it. Are you sure about this, Tanya? I don't want to be a burden to you," I say through a sigh.
"Bells, would you please stop the whole 'I'm a burden to everyone' bullshit? I'm positive, okay? Don't worry about it. And besides, I'm keen to meet this Edward boy," she replies waggling her eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes at her before a smile forms on my lips.
"Okay," I reply quietly before asking, "When do you want to leave?"
"We can leave in a few days, alright? We're both on vacation leave from the diner so everything is sweet."
"Wow. So soon?" I ask quietly.
"I don't see why not. Look, Bella, Gazza and Kate will understand that you need to do this," she says matter-of-factly. I let out a long sigh before nodding my head in agreement. She gives me a reassuring smile before standing and walking back over to the kitchen.
Tanya and I order in Thai food and stay in for the night. We watch some DVDs and drink our cups of tea. We talk about how we're going to tell Kate and Garrett that I'm going back to Forks, and Tanya is coming with me. We organize how we're going to get there, whether to fly back or go back in my truck. I have to admit it'd be easier to go by car with someone else to drive once in a while this time. Tanya said if we go by plane, then Garrett can drive down my truck when him and Kate come to visit us. She reassures me there's no doubt in her mind that they'll come visit soon, so I won't be without it for very long. Her uncle is apparently pretty wealthy as well – he owns like, eight cars or something and won't mind lending us both one. She said he's so generous, he'd probably even give them to us to keep if we wanted them.
I'm not too sure about that though, I love my truck and I want it to be with me when I go back to Forks. Tanya told me to sleep on the idea. She's quite happy to drive down if I want too.
When my alarm goes off the next morning, I can't stop the butterflies that flutter into my stomach. Today, Tanya and I are meeting up with Garrett and Kate to tell them about our move to Forks. Tanya told me not to worry and that she'll do all the talking, but I can't help but feel like I'm letting more people down from the decisions I'm making in my life. I decided that I want to drive back in my truck. Tanya was fine with it and said it'll be fun to road trip it there. A smile forms on my lips at the opportunity to see Demetri again. He was such a nice guy.
Ever since Tanya and I agreed to go back to Forks, it's like my spirit has automatically lifted, it's as though I left a part of me behind when I left and it knows I'm coming back for it. I can't even begin to explain how much I miss Alice, my best friend. I hadn't had a best friend since I was 14 after me and Jessica drifted apart, until Alice came along. It's like something about her that just bought me out of my stupor and I actually started to have a good time and feel happy again. I miss Emmett's silly jokes, Jasper's compassion and even Rosalie's bitterness towards me.
But most of all, I miss Edward. I know I have no right to because of what I did, but I will do whatever it takes to save the love that we had, even if he wants nothing to do with me after what I put him through. I'm going to fight for him.
When I think back on those days, I realize I pretty much had it all and I just threw it away like it meant nothing to me. All because I got scared, but nothing else matters to me, now that he's not in my life anymore. I should have just stayed there, but then I guess I would have never met Tanya, Kate and Garrett, They're all amazing and mean so much to me, they helped me work through my issues and helped me become the person I am today. They helped me face me fears and problems.
I may not be able to change my past, but I sure as hell can change my future. And right now, my future means nothing to me without Edward and the rest of the Cullens being in it with Tanya.
Tanya rang Kate last night and told her that she and I need to see her and Garrett today. She started to freak out that something was wrong and then Garrett got on the phone and demanded Tanya to tell him what was going on. I glance over at Tanya as we pull into the diner's parking lot. She gives me a reassuring smile and places her hand on top of mine, giving it a light squeeze.
"You ready?" she asks.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I mumble.
We both climb out of the truck and make our way into the Diner. Garrett and Kate are both sitting at a table, waiting anxiously. As soon as we walk in, Kate stands and makes her way over to us.
"What's going on? What's wrong?" she asks anxiously.
"Calm down, Kate. Nothing is wrong. Bella and I just want to talk to you guys."
"It didn't sound like nothing last night," Garrett says sternly.
"We just have some news," I add quietly.
"What is it?" Kate asks.
"Can we sit down or something?" I ask politely.
"Of course, honey," Kate says, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and leading us to a booth. Garrett disappears into the kitchen and brings out a tray of coffees, placing them on the table before sitting down next to Kate.
"So, what's this all about?" Garrett asks.
"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately, about the decisions I've made in my life. You both know about my past, my mom abandoning me, my situation with Edward. What happened with Alec made me feel horrible. I've been missing Edward so much. And the rest of his family, especially Alice. I love you guys so much too, so I feel bad about leaving, but I promise I'll come back and visit, I'll write to you and call you."
"Leaving? What do you mean you're leaving?" Kate asks confused.
"I'm moving back to Forks," I reply quietly.
"And I'm going with her," Tanya adds.
"What?" Garrett asks shocked.
"She's like my little sister, Gaz. I don't want to leave her. And I have family in Forks that I haven't seen in a long time. I need to sort out some shit with them."
"What about us? We're your family," Kate says sadly.
"Like Bella said, we'll write and call and come back and visit. You guys can come down to Forks as well. It's a nice place," Tanya says reassuringly, reaching across the table and holding Kate's hand in hers. "Look, Bella needs to do this, okay? She can't hide away for the rest of her life. She needs to deal with her mistakes and stop running from her fears," Tanya adds.
"You're sure about this, Bells?" Garrett asks.
"I'm sure," I reply, smiling at him.
"You're like a little sister to me too, I'm gonna miss you. And so are the Friday night customers," he says through a chuckle.
"I'll miss you too," I tell him, my voice sad.
Tanya slides out of the booth and grabs my hand, pulling me out too. Garrett and Kate stand up.
"We aren't leaving for a few days," Tanya tells them.
"Well when you do, I can rent out your apartment for you," Garrett tells her.
"Really? You are too amazing, Gazza. Seriously," Tanya says before engulfing him in a gigantic hug. He returns the gesture.
"We'll have to have a going away party too!" Kate says excitedly, reminding me so much of Alice, making me feel like my decision to go back to Forks is the right thing to do.
Tanya and I spend half of the day with Kate and Garrett before ringing Alec and Felix to ask if we can see them so we can tell them the news.
When Tanya and I meet up with Alec and Felix, Alec pulls me aside, wanting to talk privately.
"Are you moving back to Forks because of me?" he asks quietly.
"No, of course not!" I tell him, my tone shocked.
"I'm so sorry if I've made you uncomfortable, I didn't mean to. I meant what I said about only being your friend. I'd hate to be the reason why you've decided to leave," he says, his voice sad.
"It's not because of you in a bad way. What happened between us just made me realize how much I love and miss Edward. And Alice, his sister. She was my best friend. I miss her beyond words," I tell him honestly, my voice quite. I feel his gaze on me so I meet his eyes. I smile at him sadly before taking his hand in mine. "I don't want you to think I'm moving away because I'm uncomfortable around you, because I'm not. You're a great friend, Alec, and all of you guys are like my family now. But I belong back in Forks with Edward, Alice, and the rest of the Cullen's. They're my family too," I add, my voice cracking on the last sentence.
"Okay," he replies quietly before closing the distance between us, pulling me into a hug. I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze him tight.
"I'm so sorry about everything," I mumble into his chest.
"It's not your fault. You were heartbroken and confused," he replies quietly, rubbing my back soothingly.
"I'll miss you," I tell him softly, pulling out of our embrace.
"Hey, we're not saying our goodbye yet. We've still got your goodbye party," he says, a smirk on his face.
"Ergh, I hate parties," I mumble.
"Just don't drink a liter of alcohol and you'll be fine," he jokes. I laugh lightly before shaking my head at him. He winks at me before kissing me on the forehead and walking away.
Felix was extremely sad to hear that Tanya was leaving with me. It made me feel horrible to see all the people that Tanya would be leaving behind. Tanya picked up on my mood and reassured me that everyone will be fine, and that she is one hundred percent sure that she wants to move with me.
Tanya and I drove back to the apartment to continue packing up our stuff. Kate came over to help us for a few hours, before leaving because she had to organize our party, which just caused both Tanya and I to roll our eyes at her. Me and Tanya are in my room packing up some of my things when I bring up my mother.
"What am I meant to do about my letters to Mom?" I ask, worried.
"Just write her another letter telling her you've moved back to Forks," she replies confidently.
"Are you sure that's all I'll have to do?" I ask uncertainly.
"Well, I guess you should say you worked out your problems, blah blah blah," she says, waving her hand around above her head.
"Okaaay," I reply through a laugh.
I stand up and pull out a pad of paper and a pen out of one of drawers that are not yet packed up. I sit back down on my bed, tapping my pen on the bad of paper, trying to think of what to write. Tanya places her hand on top of mine, and looks at me pointedly. I bite my bottom lip and smile at her sheepishly. She lets out a light laugh before shaking her head at me. I look back at the pad of paper as Tanya continues to pack away my things.
Hi, it's Bella again.
Tanya convinced me I can't run away from my past and that I have to face it, which is why I'm moving back to Forks in a few days.
I won't be living with Charlie again; I'll be living with Tanya in a little cottage that her aunt owns.
The address is #04 Quimby St. Forks, Washington. 98331.
I hope to hear from you soon.
- Bella,
I hand Tanya the letter, watching her closely as she reads over it. She smiles softly at me before handing it back to me.
"It's perfect," she says softly. I smile at her gratefully before placing it in an envelope.
I head out into the kitchen to make Tanya and me a cup of tea. I place the letter in our mail pile that sits on the coffee table in the dining room. A yawn escapes my lips as I wait for the kettle to boil. Once the teas are ready, I head back to my room. Tanya smiles at me gratefully as I walk into the room. We continue to sip our tea as we sit side by side silently, packing away my things. We eventually move to Tanya's room and get half way through her closet and bookshelf before we give up and call it a night. I have a quick shower and place our china in the dish washer before climbing into bed, exhaustion taking over me as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Garrett opened the Diner tonight for our going away party. He only let all the regulars know about it, so we didn't get a million randoms in one place. I pin half of my hair back and put a few curls in it. I decide on wearing a simple navy blue dress, which has a white lace pattern on the top half of the dress, a brown belt with a bow in the middle situated around the waist. I wear my navy blue gladiator styled pumps before heading into the bathroom to apply my make up. I keep it light as always.
I meet Tanya in the living room, and she grins as soon as she take in my appearance.
"You look great," she tells me.
"Thanks, so do you," I reply honestly, a smile on my face. Tanya is wearing a tight red dress that is low cut across her chest with thick straps. It travels to just above her knee and she is wearing a pair of black Prada multi strap Pumps. Her hair out and curled.
"You ready to go?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm ready," I reply quietly. "As much as I don't want to say goodbye," I add in a mumble.
We make our way downstairs and outside to my truck. The drive over is quick and there are already a few people inside the diner. I can see Jane with her friends Heidi, Chelsea and Marcus. They're regulars at the diner on Friday nights. Tanya and I climb out of the truck and walk over to the diner, hand in hand, both of us filled with excitement and sadness. Jane runs over to us as soon as we walk through the door, engulfing Tanya in a tight hug. When she pulls away, she has tears in her eyes. I never noticed how close Tanya and Jane were before. I smile sadly at her as she turns to me. She returns the gesture before embracing me in a hug as well.
"Hey, hon. How are you?" she asks as she pulls away.
"I'm alright, a bit sad to say goodbye to everyone. But I know my decision is for the best," I tell her confidently.
"I'm gonna miss you and Tan so much! Especially your singing on Friday nights," she replies, her voice sad.
"I'll miss you too, Jane," I reply, squeezing her hand and smiling at her.
"You'll come back and visit right?" she asks hopefully.
"Of course we will, Janey. Don't be silly," Tanya says through a laugh, throwing her arm around Jane's shoulders and leading them further into the diner. I follow behind them and smile kindly at Heidi, Chelsea and Marcus. Tanya and I talk to them for a few minutes, telling them we'll come back to visit and we'll miss them too.
"How did you guys get in here, anyway? Garrett's not here?" I ask confused.
"He gave me his set of keys," Jane replies.
"Oooh, okay," I reply.
"Where are Garrett and Kate, anyway?" Tanya asks.
"Picking up Charlotte and Ben," Heidi replies.
"Where's the music?" Chelsea asks.
"I'll go put it on," I reply, smiling at them before walking away.
I walk around the front counter and into the store room, looking through the stack of CDs until I find the 2010's Top 40 hottest pop songs. I place it in the CD player and press play, Sexy Chick by David Guetta ft. Akon comes on throughout the speakers. I walk back out to the diner to see that Garrett and Kate have arrived with Charlotte and Ben. Garrett spots me and his lips turn up into a grin before he runs towards me, his arms open. I laugh as he makes his way over to me and picks me up in a giant bear hug. I wrap my arms around his neck as he spins me around. I can't stop myself from giggling loudly as he places my feet back on the ground.
"Hello, to you, too," I greet him sarcastically.
"I'm having as much fun with you as I can. I did the same thing to Tanya, don't act as though you don't like it," he jokes.
"You're right, I can't deny that," I reply, shaking my head at him as I continue to laugh.
"Come on, I think Tan wants you to dance with her," he says, taking my hand in his and leading me over to where Tanya, Kate, Charlotte and Ben stand. I think it's really sweet that they came – they were here every Friday night I sang.
"Hey, Char," I greet her before embracing her in a hug.
"Hey, Bells. Sucks you and Tan are leaving. I'm gonna miss hearing you sing," she replies kindly.
"Thanks. I'll miss seeing you guys in the crowd."
"Well, you'll have to make sure you come back and visit. And when you do, you'll have to hop up on stage and sing a few songs," Ben chimes in.
"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way," I reply honestly.
"Friday nights are definitely going to be boring now," Char adds jokingly.
"Hey! They are not," Garrett whines at her.
"I don't know about that. Bells is a pretty big star now," Ben says, a smile on his face.
"Yeah, who are we gonna watch sing on Friday nights now?" Char asks playfully.
"I promise we'll come visit, and I'll call you and text you so much, you'll end up getting sick of me," I reassure her.
"I'd never get sick of you," she replies seriously.
"Oh, I don't know about that. She can be pretty annoying," Tanya jokes.
"I can be annoying? Your way of waking me up in the morning, is pouncing on top of me in my bed," I scold her, slapping her arm lightly before smiling at her. She laughs and slings her arm across my shoulders and pulls me into her side.
"Whatever. You love it," she jokes.
"No. I'm pretty sure I don't. Unless you have a coffee waiting for me on my bedside table."
"I always have a coffee waiting for you in the morning," she says through a sigh. I poke my tongue out at her, causing her to roll her eyes at me.
A few hours later, Tanya, Kate, Char, Jane, Heidi and Chelsea are all dancing to the song Evacuate the Dancefloor by Cascada. The bell on top of the front door chimes as someone enters the diner. We all look over to see that Alec and Felix have arrived. Alec smiles warmly at me and I return the gesture. Tanya runs into Felix's arms. He wraps his arms around her and spins her around, just as Garrett did to me.
"Hey, Bells. How are you holding up?" Alec asks politely.
"I'm good, I think. It hasn't really sunk in yet, I don't think?" I tell him honestly.
"I think Tanya is pretty upset," he replies, glancing over at Tanya and Felix. They're still wrapped up in each others arms. Tanya's body is shaking, indicating that she's crying. I can't stop the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alec asks concerned.
"Yeah. I just hate I'm the reason she's leaving everyone," I reply sadly.
"She's a big girl, she'll be fine. She knows what she's doing," he reassures me.
"I just hate seeing her upset," I mumble.
"She feels the same about you," he says kindly, rubbing my arm in comfort.
"Thank you," I say quietly.
I look into his eyes. He smiles softly at me before running his hand down my arm and placing his hand in mine, squeezing it lightly. "For what?" he asks.
"For being so kind and understanding. For everything," I tell him, sighing before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He squeezes me back and rubs my back.
"You're welcome," he replies, his voice quiet.
Once Tanya has got composure of herself, she and Felix walk the rest of the way into the Diner. I greet Felix with a hug and thank him for being a great friend. He smiles kindly at me before kissing me on the cheek and taking my hand in his, squeezing it lightly before letting it go. He stays by Tanya's side the rest of the night, spending as much time with her as possible before we leave.
Char, Jane and I end up back on the dance floor, singing and dancing to the song Tik Tok by Kesha, while all the boys chat and Heidi and Chelsea gossip by themselves in one of the seating booths. Heidi and Chelsea come over when the song 3 by Britney Spears comes on. When the song ends, they decide to head off and Jane goes with them. Tanya and I hug them all goodbye and promise to give them a call when we arrive in Forks.
Alec and Felix decide to leave as well, so it's just Me, Tanya, Garrett, Kate, Charlotte and Ben left. Tanya has a few tears in here eyes when she says goodbye to Felix, but she doesn't cry hysterically like she did when he first got here and few hours ago. I hug Felix and then Alec, giving them both a kiss on the cheek before they leave.
Kate and Charlotte end up dragging Garrett and Ben onto the dance floor when Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus comes on. Both of the boys look like they're in physical pain and want to murder someone. That is, until they eventually get into the song and begin to sing along with it as they dance. Tanya and I laugh hysterically together as we watch them.
Tanya grabs my hand and leads me over to them, so we can dance too. I think she just realized how late it's getting and that we'll all have to go home soon. I wrap my arms around her neck and she slides her arms under mine, wrapping them around my waist. She holds me close and I bury my face into the crook of her neck. She lets out a deep sigh before planting a kiss on my forehead. I squeeze her tightly before stepping out of the embrace, but keeping my hand still entwined with hers. I can't express how glad I am Tanya is coming back to Forks with me. She's my best friend – she gives me courage and makes me face my fears. I wouldn't be who I am now if it wasn't for her.
We continue to dance until it's time to go. Tanya and I say our goodbye to Char and Ben. We give them both a hug.
"We'll just wait outside," Char says, tugging on Bens arm. I smile kindly at her as she drags him outside.
Kate and Tanya turn to face each other, both of their eyes well up with tears before Tanya envelops Kate in a hug.
"I'll miss you, Tan," Kate mumbles.
"I'll miss you too, Katie," Tanya replies, her voice cracked from sadness.
I can't stop the tears from falling from my eyes at the sight before me. I glance over at Garrett and he closes the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me. I slide my arms under his and wrap them around his waist, hugging him tightly.
"I'll miss you, baby girl. You're like a little sister to me. If you need anything, ever, you call me, okay?" he says seriously.
"I will, I promise," I reply. "I'll miss you too," I add through a sob. He smiles at me as I pull out of the embrace. I return the gesture before wiping my eyes. I look over to Kate and Tanya to see they were both watching Garrett and I, both of them still crying.
Tanya and I run past each other as we swap places and I embrace Kate in a hug as Tanya hugs Garrett.
"Who am I going to hang out with during the week now?" Kate asks as she hugs me tightly, "It won't be the same without you, Bells," she says sadly.
"We'll still visit, and like I said to Char, we'll call and text you all the time," I reassure her, my voice muffled by our embrace. We both step out of our hug and hold hands. I look over to Tanya and Garrett, both of them are still hugging and Tanya's body is shaking with sobs. Kate and I walk over to them and wrap our arms around them. Tanya winds her arm around mine and entwines her hand with mine. We stay there for a few minutes before we finally pull apart. I look up at Garrett to his cheeks are wet and his eyes are a hint of red. Garrett and Kate kiss both Tanya and I on the cheek before we walk outside. Tanya and I see Char and Ben hugging each other as they lean up against Garrett's car.
Me and Tanya wave goodbye to them before hugging Garrett and Kate again and walking away, our hands still entwined.
When we get home, we pack up the rest of Tanya's things. We decided to leave most of the stuff in the kitchen, dinning room and living room here, since Garrett is going to rent out the apartment for us. We took a few movies though, and our favorite coffee cups from the kitchen. I walk down to my room to have a quick shower and change into my pajamas. Tanya does the same before coming down to my room and crawling into my bed. She always does that when one of us is sad, drunk or if one of just doesn't want to be alone.
"Do you think I should call Alice?" I ask her uncertainly.
"That's your best friend, right? And Edward's sister?" she asks.
"Yeah," I reply quietly.
"I don't see why you shouldn't," she replies nonchalantly.
"Okay. Can you please pass me my phone then? It's on the bedside table on your side."
She reaches over and grabs my phone, rolling back towards me and handing it to me. I smile kindly at her before taking it out of her hand. I bite my bottom lip as I scroll through my contacts. When I got a new Sim Card I put in all the contact from my other Sim. That's really selfish of me, I know, but I just wanted to have their numbers.
"Just call her," Tanya says, rolling her eyes at me. I let out a deep sigh before clicking on Alice's name. My contacts are set alphabetically, so she's right up the top of my list. I press the green call button and put the phone up to my ear.
She answers on the fourth ring.
"Hello?" she answers, her tone sounding confused.
"Hi, Alice? It's Bella," I reply softly.
"Bella!" she exclaims. "Oh my god, where are you? I know you're in California because Edward got your letter and the postmark said California, but you didn't write a return address, which I think upset Edward pretty badly. But I guess he's okay, he's still upset about you leaving though. Anyway, how are you? Why did you leave? Are you coming back? Please say you're coming back." she adds, breathing heavily as she runs out of breath.
"Wow, Alice. I see you're still having that problem with breathing when you talk," I tell her through a laugh before continuing. "Yes, I'm in California. I'm glad he got my letter, I feel so horrible about everything, but I'm good. I'm better now. I can't explain why I left over the phone, it would take too long, but I'll explain in person, which I guess answers your last question. I'm coming back to Forks."
I pull the phone away from my ear as she squeals with excitement.
"Oh my god, I can't tell you how happy I am! Wait until Edward hears this! I told him to never give up on you! I knew you would come back eventually!"
"Well, thanks for not giving up on me. How is he? I know he must be hurting badly. And how's Jazz, Em and Rose?" I ask, my voice quiet.
"They're good. They're all great! Em and Rose are graduating soon, so they'll probably be off to collage then. And Edward was um – let's just say he wasn't good. He's a lot better now, though. He's apart of the Big Brother program at the hospital. Dad is very proud of him."
"That's great. I'm so happy for all of you. God, I've missed talking to you, Ali," I tell her, my voice quiet.
"I've missed you so much too, Bella!" she replies sadly.
"It's alright, B. You'll see her again soon," Tanya says.
"Who's that?" Alice asks intrigued.
"That's my roommate and now best friend, Tanya. She's coming to Forks with me."
"I thought I was your best friend," Alice says sadly.
"You are! You'll always be my best friend, Ali. Tanya is my other best friend," I reassure her.
"Okay," she replies uncertainly.
"Alice. You haven't been replaced. I could never, ever replace you," I tell her seriously.
"I believe you. I can't wait for you to come back. When are you coming?" she asks excitedly.
"We leave tomorrow. So I'll be there in a few days."
"So soon? Yay! I can't wait!" she exclaims excitedly.
"I'm sorry, Alice, but I should probably get some sleep," I tell her reluctantly.
"Oh. No, that's okay. I'll see you soon! You'll text or call me when you get back right?" she asks uncertainly.
"Of course I will."
"Alright, well, night Bells. Tell Tanya I said goodnight too."
"Alice says goodnight," I tell Tanya.
"Tell her I said goodnight, and I'll see her soon," she replies
"You don't have to tell me, I heard her. Bye Bells," Alice says through a giggle.
"Bye, Ali," I reply before hanging up.
"Well, that was interesting. I could hear her and I don't even have the phone near my ear," Tanya says through a laugh.
"Yeah. Alice gets kind of, really high pitched when she's excited."
"You don't say."
"She's great, though. You'll love her," I tell her honestly.
"I look forward to it. But right now, I want some sleep," she says seriously.
"Night, Tan," I say as a yawn escapes my lips. Tanya laughs lightly to herself before leaning over and kissing me on the cheek.
"Night, Bells," she says before rolling over and closing her eyes.
I do the same, a smile forming on my face as I think about seeing Alice and Edward again. It isn't long until sleep overcomes me.
Hey everyone! First of all, I'm so sorry about the late update... I've been mega busy and I'm in Melbourne now! :) So I haven't had time to write or post anything. Secondly, I'm working on chapter 29 right now, so hopefully that will be ready by next Wednesday! Thirdly, thank you to everyone who have been reviewing and thank you to everyone who have added this story to their alerts and favourites, it really means a lot to me :)
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- Nat xx