I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until Charlie was shaking me awake. "Bells," he called. I sat up and looked around. "You okay Bella?" I nodded. "The furniture guys are here."

I got out of bed, grabbed my trash, and followed Charlie downstairs. I heard him tell the delivery men where to take everything. "If there's somewhere specific you want them to put your stuff you should go direct them," Charlie told me. I shrugged. I didn't care where everything went. If I didn't like it then it wouldn't take much effort for me and Charlie to move things around.

I checked the time and found it to be four already. I yawned and moved to the kitchen. It was time to finish unpacking all the boxes of kitchen ware so I could make dinner. I took my time emptying the boxes and arranging everything the way I wanted. It was still a bit early to start cooking so I was in no rush. The delivery men came in and out with various pieces of furniture. Charlie wasn't able to do much but he did hold the door open for them.

When everything was organized to my liking, I grabbed what I needed to make the enchiladas. I wouldn't put them in the oven yet. It would take maybe twenty minutes to prepare everything since I'm using rotisserie chicken. Then another twenty to thirty minutes in the oven.

I quickly shredded the chicken and diced up the onions and peppers. I even added some jalapenos to the mix. The chicken was set aside while I cooked the veggies.

"Smells good Bells," Charlie said walking into the kitchen. I just finished my prep and was going to put it in the fridge until I was ready to cook it. I wanted to make a salad to go with it first.

I grabbed the whiteboard and quickly wrote, thanks. I grabbed him a beer from the fridge. While he opened it and took a drink I wrote my next question. Do you want to eat now or later? I had planned on later but if he was hungry now it wasn't a big deal.

"Now," Charlie answered placing his half empty bottle on the counter. "You missed lunch." He paused like he was unsure if he should continue. I took advantage of the pause and turned on the oven. "You need to eat more Bells."

The oven beeped and I put the enchiladas in. I set the timer before starting on the salad. I heard Charlie's comment but I didn't want to answer.

Deep down I knew he was right. I wasn't eating enough. My clothes were starting to get to be too big. My ribs were poking out. I knew it was bad. I just couldn't bring myself to care, or to fix it. But I had to try. For Charlie's sake. Just like I promised.

I shook my head. What a stupid promise. I would never intentionally do anything stupid that would hurt Charlie. But I wasn't working hard to keep myself healthy and that was hurting Charlie.

I sighed and cleaned off my hands. I'll try.

Just like that Charlie looked ten years younger. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Was I really that bad off? It didn't matter. I would try harder for Charlie. Not because I promised…him. I owed him nothing but I owed Charlie everything.

"Good," he said pleased.

After a couple minutes of him watching me prepare the salad, he grabbed his beer and headed back to the living room. Now that I was alone I could focus on my task, finishing the half-done salad. I diced some tomatoes and cucumbers and dumped them on the mixture of iceberg lettuce and spinach. I grabbed the bacon bits and croutons from the cabinet and set them aside. The finished salad was put back in the fridge until it was time to serve.

One thing I loved about this new house was the larger kitchen. There was so much more counter space which made it far easier for me to make dinner and prepare for anyone that may visit. Not that I expected visitors but Charlie might.

I traced the first of two scars on my arm. The bite mark on my wrist. The imprint of James' teeth was still noticeable if you knew where to look. The other one was the one I had gotten on my eighteenth birthday. The night that changed my life forever. I avoided looking at the scars at all costs. It was an ugly reminder of what happened, of what I had lost. I hated that reminder.

I was numb that first week after he left. I didn't sleep. I didn't eat. I was like a zombie. I remember Charlie checking in on me when I had nightmares.

It was the second week when Charlie decided we were moving to Alaska. He was desperate to get me away from Forks. Even though I resisted at first… I'm kind of glad he made that decision. This really does feel like a new start.

It was the third week since they left. Three weeks and it still felt like yesterday. Three weeks and I hadn't really healed at all. But maybe now I was ready to… Maybe.

I thought back to the night before. I asked Charlie to get a job. I had a job at Newton's in Forks. I liked having extra money for whatever I needed, or wanted. The problem was finding a place that would hire a mute girl. I couldn't think of any place that would.

Perhaps a bookstore? I could work on putting books on the shelves. It would be the least amount of interaction with people. It may not be the best option but if I could prove to someone that I knew books then it might work.

The timer went off and I grabbed a hot pad before pulling the enchiladas from the oven. They looked perfect. While they cooled down a bit I grabbed the salad and dressing from the fridge along with the sour cream and salsa for the enchiladas. The last thing I grabbed was the plates, silverware and cups.

Once everything was on the table and ready I went to get Charlie for dinner. "Smells great Bella," he commented when he sat down.

I nodded at him. I served us both before sitting down to eat. We sat silently for a while. The only sound was the forks scrapping on the plates. It took a lot of effort to eat everything on my plate and by the time I was finished I felt sick. Charlie didn't comment but he stayed at the table long after he finished. I could see he was proud of me for finishing the entire plate.

"I'll clean up," Charlie offered. I wanted to protest. Not because I had anything against Charlie helping. I simply wanted something to do. But I knew there was no talking Charlie out of helping. He felt guilty for leaving me to cook all the time. Even though I liked cooking.

I nodded again and he got up and grabbed our plates. "We need to stop at the school tomorrow," he said gathering the rest of the things off the table. "We need to make sure you're registered so you can start school on Monday."

This I was not looking forward to. I didn't want to go back to school. At least I wouldn't have to deal with Jessica and Lauren giving me looks. Or Mike and Tyler trying to hit on me. I would miss Angela though. She was my closest friend.

I grabbed my whiteboard. Okay. What time?

"No rush," Charlie said as he filled the sink. "Preferably before lunch but if you want to sleep in then it can wait."

I didn't comment. I never slept in anymore, thanks to the nightmares. I was lucky to get a full night's rest at all. Last night the nightmares hadn't been as bad. I'm sure it had to do more with being in Alaska than it did with my recovery. The memories of what happened were no longer around me. They were only in my head. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

After Charlie cleaned up the kitchen I followed him to the living room. Charlie seemed pleased that I was spending time with him. There was some game playing, football from what I could tell. I stayed there for about an hour before heading up to my room. Now that I had some furniture I could start unpacking my things.

I pushed open the door to my bedroom and was pleasantly surprised to see how it was organized. The dresser was put on the wall opposite my bed. The nightstand on the side furthest from the door. The desk was underneath the window so I had plenty of light during the day. The delivery men did a good job. There were a few things I would probably need to buy for my room but I wasn't in a huge hurry.

I went to the guest room and grabbed the first box to start unpacking. It was a bunch of school supplies, taken from my desk back in Forks. Before I could finish unpacking this box there was a knock at my door.

"Bella," Charlie said stepping into my room. He was holding a gift bag. He handed me the bag. I frowned as I opened it and pulled out a box. My eyes widened at the sight of a laptop. "I picked this up when you weren't paying attention. You'll be going to college soon and I figured you could—"

I hugged him. Charlie may not be the most nurturing parent but he always came through in the ways that mattered. I never would have asked for the laptop but somehow, he knew I wanted, and needed, one. I was never more grateful to have him in my life.

"You're welcome Bells," he said, knowing what I wanted to say but couldn't. He pulled away and shifted awkwardly. "I'll let you get ready for bed. Goodnight Bella." He kissed my forehead before leaving me alone.

I carefully opened my new laptop. I decided to let it charge overnight and, in the morning, I would get it set up. I sat the laptop on my new desk and plugged it in. I double checked to make sure it was charging before gathering the trash. The trash was left in the gift bag, to be taken out in the morning when I woke up.

I crawled into bed half an hour later. Alaska was going to be a good thing for me, I told myself. I told myself this every night now, in hopes of it actually being true. For the first time since I learned we were moving I actually believed it to be true.

Last night was the first night I didn't have a nightmare since they left. I still didn't get a full night's worth of sleep but it was progress. I could tell by the look on Charlie's face at breakfast that he was relived to not be woken up by the screaming. I didn't blame him. It wasn't fair for him to suffer too.

"Are you feeling up to going to the school this morning?" Charlie questioned.

I wanted to say no but it was Friday. If we didn't go today odds are I wouldn't be able to start on Monday like I wanted. With my hope of a future with them now gone, it was time I made plans for a human future. And that meant college.

I grabbed my whiteboard. That's fine, I wrote. I need to shower still.

"Let's plan on leaving in an hour then," Charlie suggested. I glanced at the clock on the oven. It was nine now. If we left in an hour that was still plenty of time to get everything done that we needed. I nodded in agreement. "Okay, why don't you get ready while I clean up?"

I took Charlie's advice and made my way upstairs. I dug through my suitcase for clothes. When we got home I needed to finish unpacking. This was our new home and there was no reason to continue to live out of boxes and a suitcase.

My shower was quick. I wanted to get this trip to the school done as quickly as possible. I could imagine the types of questions the school administrators would have when they learned I don't speak. They were questions I didn't want answered because I knew it made me look pathetic. But I couldn't help it. When they left, they broke me. And I didn't know if I would ever be whole again.

Charlie was waiting for me in the kitchen when I went downstairs. He looked up from his cup of coffee when I sat down. "Are you ready?" I nodded. "Do you want some coffee first?" I shook my head. I wasn't big on coffee, or caffeine in general. "Alright, let's go."

The drive to the high school was a little longer than I expected. It was right at the edge of town. The middle school was right across from it. I assumed the elementary school was nearby as well.

I followed Charlie into the front office. My whiteboard was pressed into my side. The marker and eraser for tucked safely in my pocket. I hoped I didn't need to say anything but if so, I was prepared.

It was cool outside, cooler than Forks. Although I couldn't be sure about that. Before we moved I took some time to look into Alaska weather. It would most likely start snowing soon as it was already October. Hopefully I had time to adjust before having to deal with snow. Which reminded me…

We should get chains for my truck soon. I tapped Charlie's arm and showed him the whiteboard.

Charlie frowned. I don't think he thought of how much snow there would be in Alaska. "You're right. We can stop on the way home. I want to show you how to put them on and take them off."

I tuned out most of the conversation between Charlie and the lady at the desk. As much as I wanted to finish school and start my new future, I still wasn't too eager to go to school. As long as I didn't have to deal with any Jessica's or Lauren's it was bound to be a decent time.

Charlie nudged me, pulling me from my thoughts. I realized the lady was trying to pass me a map and a schedule. I took it from her and nodded in thanks. I saw the pitying look in her eyes. Did Charlie tell her I went mute over a simple heartbreak? Granted there was nothing simple about being abandoned by the one that claimed over and over again that he loved me, but still.

"Your teachers will have textbooks for you," the woman said. "If you need anything fill free to come by."

Charlie asked the woman where a good place to buy chains was. When he got his answer, he said goodbye and we were off.

I stayed in the car while Charlie bought chains for my truck. I wasn't big on auto shops. I didn't know enough about cars and it wasn't all that safe for me to be in a store where things could break.

After about ten minutes the car door opened and Charlie slipped inside. He handed me the bag. "We'll test them out when we get home. The woman inside said these should work for your truck."

The drive home was quicker than I expected. After driving around town a few times I felt confident in getting around. Not that it was all that difficult. The town was small. There wasn't a whole lot of places to get lost.

Charlie spent the next two hours teaching me how to put the chains on and how to take them off again. After he finished he explanation and gave a demonstration, he made me do it over and over again until I could do it on my own and feel confident in doing so.

"I should get you some new tires," Charlie said thoughtfully. He shook his head. "I'll get them before the snow starts. There's no rush right now."

I hugged him. Neither one of us was big on showing affection but after everything Charlie was doing for me it seemed right. Instead of tensing up like I expected, Charlie wrapped his arms around me. "We're going to make this work," Charlie said gruffly.

I nodded against him. After everything I put him through since I moved in with him, I was surprised by how much he still cared. He forgave me despite everything I had put him through. It was amazing as it was unbelievable.

Charlie pulled away and coughed. "What do you say we do an old fashion movie night?" he suggested. "We can order some pizzas and watch Lord of the Rings?"

I grinned at the thought. They were three of my favorite movies. I held up three fingers hoping he got the message. My whiteboard was still in the car. "Yeah, all three movies," he promised. I beamed.

I locked my truck back up. The chains were put under the passenger seat so they would be there when I needed. Charlie grabbed all the trash and threw it out. I grabbed my whiteboard from Charlie's car before following him into the house.

While Charlie ordered the pizza, I changed into sweats and a baggy t-shift. I put on my fuzzy socks and grabbed a blanket. Once I was down I went back downstairs to the living room. There were a few boxes of things that needed to be unpacked. It was mostly movies and pictures that Charlie had hanging up.

I dug through the boxes. The blankets were placed on the couch. I sat the pictures on the coffee table so Charlie could hang them where he wanted. Most of the pictures had me in them from when I used to stay with Charlie when I was younger. There was also my yearly school photo.

The movies were in the last box I opened. I left the rest of the movies in the box and grabbed the three that were sitting on top. We needed to get a bookshelf or something to store the movies.

"Pizza's will be here in twenty minutes," Charlie announced walking into the living room. "One meat lovers for me and one supreme for you." My stomach grumbled in anticipation. "Good to see your appetite is coming back."

I rolled my eyes and plopped down on the couch. Charlie got the movies set up while I got comfortable. I would do it myself but I wasn't as skilled with the TV as Charlie was. We waited until the pizza arrived before starting the movies.

I made a quick trip to the kitchen to make a side salad. I grabbed a beer for Charlie and a bottle of lemonade for me. Charlie sat the pizzas up on the coffee table so it would be easy for us to grab what we wanted. I handed him his plate with the salad on it. He frowned at the salad but didn't comment.

We filled our plates. Once we were settled into our seats Charlie hit play.