Bella

"You look amazing, Bella," Alice said as she placed a small flower in my hair. I blushed and looked down at my simple dress. Alice plucked it from her own collection but it was perfect for my day.

"Jasper seems so excited. He's going to make you so happy Bella."

I looked up at Alice and I could see how happy she was for the both of us. She did so much for me these past couple of months that I just couldn't bear to think where I'd be without her.

Our small wedding was taking place in the garden outside of Alice's house and I could see the set up from the window of the room we were in. I could see Aro down at the garden talking to the minister but Jasper wasn't there yet.

I sat on the bed and reached for my cell phone. I'd not seen a text from Edward since last night and I wondered if he'd try to crash the wedding.

As the minutes passed, I realized it was getting close to the time to go down to the garden.

I stood, grabbing the small bouquet of flowers that Alice quickly set up for me and as I faced the door, Alice stood with the most disturbing look on her face.

"Jasper isn't here, Bella. Aro says he hasn't seen him in a while."

It took a moment for me to understand what she was saying.

"He's not here? Where is he then?"

"I don't know. Aro tried calling his cell and he's turned it off. The minister says he hasn't seen him either."

I ran to the room where Jasper had his luggage from the room and there wasn't a sign of him ever being here. I felt my heart ripping into a million pieces. I grabbed a handful of hair and fell to the bed and began sobbing.

"He's gone Alice!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Jasper

Bella was sleeping so soundly when I woke up the next morning. I watched as she sighed and smiled in her sleep and I knew that I loved her with every part of my being.

However, she was marrying me for all the wrong reasons. She loved me, but it wasn't enough. I could see the guilt in her eyes after she realized what she'd done to me. I didn't want our marriage to be based on that alone.

I paced the living room and kitchen so early that morning and as I watched the sun rise I had to make a decision and it was one based on how much I wanted her to be happy. I know she was happy with me but after months of frustration and pain she's gone through, she needed time to heal completely before she took on a relationship, especially one of marriage.

So when Alice showed up that morning and locked herself and Bella in the room to help her prepare, I grabbed my packed bag and called a cab to take me to the airport. I left a note on the counter of the kitchen and headed out.

It was probably the most cowardly thing I'd ever done in my life and as I sit in my apartment there are some parts that I regret. I should have had the courage to tell her this to her face but the pain would have been too much for me to bear.

I finally got the courage after landing to turn my phone back on and as it rang for the 100th time since coming home, I finally answered it.

"Hello," was all I could muster and I felt a catch in my throat.

"You have so much to explain right now," Alice said on the other end. "Do you know what you've left me with here?"

"Alice, please, you have to…"

"Don't you dare tell me I have to understand. She's devastated Jasper. She's falling to pieces here and you should have said something to her before leaving a note. A fucking note? What is wrong with you?"

I sighed. I knew trying to explain to her wouldn't work so I just said, "Alice, give me some space to figure this out. I'll talk to her soon."

"Jasper, this isn't over," Alice said as she hung up on me.

I stared at the phone for a moment and launched it at my wall and watched as it shattered into pieces… just like my own heart.

Edward

I sat in my rental car outside of Alice's house and debated on why I showed up in the first place. Was I going to stop the wedding really? Had I stooped that low but as I sat for a moment, something didn't seem right. Everything seemed somber.

I walked up to the door and rang the bell and as Aro answered the door, I knew something wasn't right then for sure. The look on his face was distraught and very frustrated.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Not really Edward. Let me get Alice."

I faced the front yard as I waited on Alice.

"You have impeccable timing Cullen," Alice said as she came to the door. "This is really not a good time for you to be here."

I squinted my eyes trying to make sense of everything. "Where's Bella?"

"Edward, honestly, please go home."

"No Alice. I'm tired of people telling me to give up. I'm tired of people telling me to leave her alone."

"Edward," I heard a small voice say from behind Alice.

I glanced around Alice and found Bella in sweatpants and a T-shirt. You could tell she'd been crying pretty hard and her eyes were puffy.

I ran straight up to her and wrapped my arms around her. She began sobbing and as I took her into the living room she sobbed harder.

"What happened to her," I said sternly to Alice.

"Jasper left her."

I felt this anger building inside of me that I'd never felt before. I knew he loved her but why on earth would he do this to her?

"Where is he now?" I asked still holding Bella as she wept in my lap.

"He's back in Washington. He won't give me an explanation as to why he did what he did," Alice said.

I just held Bella as she started to calm down.

"Alice can you give us a few moments alone," I asked.

"Edward I don't think…"

"Please," I asked looking up, pleading.

"Don't do anything else to hurt her or you'll deal with me later," she said.

Aro and Alice walked into the kitchen as I reached for a handkerchief in my pocket. I wiped tears away from Bella's eyes and let her cry as long as she needed to. Her tears turned to sniffles and finally she stopped.

"Edward, why are you here?" she asked from my chest.

"I originally came to stop you, but the more I thought about it I came to give you my blessing."

She looked up and said, "Your blessing?"

"Yes. I knew that you didn't need me being in your business any longer and the only thing I've ever wanted Bella was for you to be happy. I see now that despite that here you are, still not happy despite all my efforts. I feel like I've failed you."

She wiped a tear away from her eyes and said, "Edward, you failed me a long time ago…"

I nodded my head and was about to say something in my defense, but she stopped me.

"However, today you've been here for me and I will never forget that. I'm not saying that I want us to make amends Edward. Please, do not get that wrong. I'm just glad you were here for me."

"Bella, I still care about you regardless. I wasn't the easiest person to get along with once and I wanted to prove that and instead I created so much chaos in your life. I was selfish and you don't deserve that. But what I am asking for is your forgiveness."

She stood and walked towards the window and looked out for a moment. "Edward, you did create chaos in my life, from the moment you had my heart. You took it, abused it and left me needing someone to pick me back up. And when he did, you couldn't handle it. You were always the one who needed the attention and when I no longer wanted to give you that, you created confusion for me."

I folded my hands in my lap and nodded. She was so right.

"I loved Jasper with every fiber of my being," she said. I could see how much it was tearing her up.

"And now he's gone because I couldn't decide."

She looked at me with tears in her eyes again.

I spoke up, "You couldn't decide?"

"Between you or him. Edward, there was a part of me that thought about coming back to you. Honestly. Even last night I stayed up a while debating the topic. But by morning I was ready to marry Jasper. I think it was Karma playing a really, really harsh trick on me. I make my choice and she takes it away from me."

I stood to meet her at the window. "Bella, I never realized the damage I was causing you."

Her eyes met mine, "Edward, you never have. You do things for your own agenda and I'm the one always left holding the broken heart. So when you ask me for forgiveness, that's a really, really tall order."

She walked away from me and grabbed a tissue from the coffee table.

"Edward, I'd like you to go home now. Please. Just let me be alone. Forgiveness will come in time but not today. Today I mourn for the one thing I thought could make me happy. I'm not blaming you completely for this, don't get me wrong. I'm just as guilty but you didn't help matters. I need to be as far away from you as I can be. So please go."

I nodded and walked out the door.

A/N: No this is not the end…