A loose page sailed out of my book when I had to close Wuthering Heights in frustration. I had to change before I could head off to school.

Almost every day I wonder why I go through the whole charade in the first place, but every time I am out of touch with humans for an extended period of time I am reminded of how refreshing even the monotonous repetition of high school can be for me. How much longer I can sustain this, I wasn't sure. But I only ever thought till the next school cycle. And I was still too determined to give up. I wasn't going to throw my life away yet. He wouldn't have wanted that.

With a sigh I stroked the worn cover of my book. It was one in a line of worn out copies. Even though I had the whole book memorized I relished every read through. He had always teased me about my love for the book. He despised the characters. And I had agreed with him. The characters were despicable. But that is why their love is unshakeable. It was eternal. Even after Cathrine died. And I clung to the idea that our love was just the same. Eternal. Even though he was gone. Even though he had died a hundred years ago. And even though I had no natural way of ever joining him.

At this point in my life I envied Heathcliff. Not for anything that happened in his life but for the fact that he had a life. A life that could end. A life that he could end by simply refusing food.

Just like Heathcliff was broken and tormented, I was haunted by the ghost of him. His presence was everywhere I looked, even though he had never been to Washington. But he was in the wildflowers growing in the garden behind my house. He was in the rain that sprayed against the windows. In the book I still brushed with my fingertips.

Even though the world had become unrecognizable in the time since his death it was still too similar. And it always would be.

I sighed heavily but got up and left for school. This time I would attend Forks High. A school of three hundred. Small. Even for the usually small towns I frequented in my quest to delay the inevitable day I would crack and set an end to my existence.

I played with the rings on my left hand. A nervous habit I should break. Both rings showed signs of wear and my constant twirling added to it.

Mentally pushing myself I swung open the door. Even after a hundred years as the world's most deadly hunter I was still nervous to speak to humans.

A red haired woman looked up from her computer when I entered. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Isabella Masen. I am here for my schedule."

She nodded and continued typing. "Just a moment."

I nodded and waited.

The secretary's office was small. Just like in every school. And like every other school, it was a colorful mess. Red plastic pots with half-dried plants, posters advertising cheerleading qualifications and stickers in pink and neon yellow.

She finished her typing with a loud clack and rolled her chair over to one of the wobbly paper towers. She didn't look for long before she found my timetable. "This is it." She stood up and handed me the papers over the reception counter. "Your timetable and a map of the school."

I thanked her for her help and went on my way.

People were whispering about me in the corridors. As always. My visual beauty was lusted after or envied. As always. And as always, only the bravest or the stupidest dared to try talk to me. What was not as always was that I was compared to a family with the name Cullen. At first it struck me as odd, how could I be compared to humans? But then I crossed the distinct smell of a vampire. And I knew that this time, attending school was not going to be just like always.

It was the last lesson before lunch when I had my first lesson with one of the Cullens. When I entered the room, I could already smell her. And moments later, an excited little vampire jumped into my arms. Her spiky black hair tickled my collarbone. I stiffened at first, all alarm bells sounding, but after a moment I hugged her back. "My name is Alice. We are going to be great friends. I can already see it."

"Uhm- I am Isabella." I told her.

"I know, silly." She grabbed my hand and pulled me to her seat. "I can see the future. You sit there."

"You only drink from animals as well?" I asked redundantly. Her eyes were as golden as my own. "And your name is Cullen?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Is Carlisle Cullen part of your coven?"

"He is the father of our family." she said.

"How many of you are there?"

"There is Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmet, Jasper and me and Edward."

The name stung and I flinched at the pain.

"Is Carlisle Cullen a doctor?"

She nodded. "He works at the local hospital. This routine is mainly so that he can help the humans."

"I think I knew him." I said quietly. "Before my change."

"Really?" Her eyes were wide.

I nodded. Twirling the rings again before I actively stopped myself and instead brushed down my huge sweater.

We were reminded to keep quiet before our exchange could go on but Alice slid me a note.

Eat with my family at lunch?

I nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Oh this will be so exciting. They will love you. Instantly. How could they not?" Alice told me as she dragged me through the corridors. "And you will never know what will hit you. Oh I love Forks already. You know, Carlisle, Edward and the others have been to Forks before. Like decades ago. But Jasper and I had not yet joined them so this is our first time. I thought it would be just like every other place we had been to. I could have never imagined this excitement. But I am so very glad that you decided to come here. It has been two weeks since I saw you coming and it was so hard to keep it from everyone else. But I have managed to pull through. This is going to be so exciting!"

I nodded along to the never ending chatter.

"Isabella?" she asked louder and I returned my attention back to her.

"Yes?"

"There we are." She pointed to one of the tables in the corner of the cafeteria. My eyes swept across the crowded cafeteria. Her four siblings already sat. A boy with dark locks and huge muscles, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen with long blond hair, a towering blond boy with battle scars all over his face and lastly a boy with bronze hair.

Bronze hair that I knew all too well.

Bronze hair that I had treated my fingers through a hundred times.

Bronze hair that was too long because he had not cut it when he was dying of the Spanish flu.

My thoughts came to a screeching halt as my eyes took him in. The crowded cafeteria around us no longer registered with me. Nothing does. There is nothing but him.

He turned and his golden eyes locked with mine.

He was staring right at me.

Bewilderment was clear on his face. And I most certainly mirrored his expression.

There was no mistaking him. Even after almost a hundred years. And after the change had defined his features. His once bright green eyes had become gold but they were just as deep. And full of love and pain and hope and caution.

I was looking at Edward Anthony Masen.

Edward. My Edward.

My body was frozen as I greedily drank in his face. I could do nothing but stand there. As our eyes were tangled. I could see nothing but him. It was like I had landed in a dream. And I would not risk tearing my eyes away from him. I feared the illusion would vanish as soon as I averted my gaze.

"Edward." I finally gasped. His name had fallen from my lips without me consciously telling them but all of the sudden the spell that had rooted me to the ground vanished and I flew to him. I could just barely remember to keep my speed inconspicuous.

Edward had gotten up from his seat and met me in the middle of the cafeteria.

And then he was there. In my arms. I was clutching him tightly to me and I started to accept that this was real. That he was truly there. With me. In my arms. And I in his. I wish I could have cried with relief. "Edward!" I sobbed tearlessly against his chest, wrapping my arms even tighter around his body. "Edward."

"Bella." he whispered into my hair. Repeating my name over and over again. His voice was choked. "Bella. Bella. Bella." I could feel his body shaking with sobs. And a laugh spilled from his lips. It was a sound so light and free. Full of his relief. It was the most beautiful sound in my world.

As we quieted down I pulled back and gazed at his face. I traced his high brows. The sharp cheeks. The bridge of his nose. And his lips.

I needed to assure myself that he was real. That I had truly found him.

I could feel his fingers on my cheeks as he explored my face as well. His fingers ignited a spark I had not felt in decades. My unbeating heart seemed to tighten in my chest. I am sure if I was still human my heart would hammer against my ribcage and my face would be tinged pink.

"Oh Edward! I can't believe you are truly here. I have missed you." I shook my head in frustration as words failed me. "Missing is too small a word for the deep yearning that has taken my breath every minute of every day since I last saw you. I have imagined this very moment so many times after the doctor told me you had passed. I can hardly believe this is truly happening."

I inhaled his scent. It was heavenly. Sweet as honey and light as sunshine. And all the pain of the last century seemed to be healed.

I had found Edward. Somehow I had found him again in eternity.

"How?" I asked, my voice was only a whisper. I was completely overwhelmed.

Edwards' eyes flashed to the people around us. I only then realized that we had drawn the attention of both the humans around us and Edwards coven members at their table.

"It is a long story." he said softly and I could tell he was nervous. "Oh, Bella! There is so much I have to tell you and so much I want to hear. But I would much rather do that somewhere else."

I hesitantly agreed. I wanted to hear all about him but I would rather have privacy and time for it.

He pressed his lips against my forehead and they lingered a little too long to be acceptable for a school cafeteria. But I did not care. Nothing mattered but the fact that Edward was alive and well and in my arms.

"Come, love, we should join my family. We have a lot to explain." His eyes darted around the room. "And the humans are watching us."

I swallowed hard but nodded. Gripping his hand tightly. I would not let him go.

Edward saw the fear in my eyes and squeezed my hand. "There is nothing to worry about. They are very nice." He shot a look at the dark haired boy that grinned broadly at his statement. "Well, most of them are. But I am sure they will behave."

"It's not that." I whispered in his ear so that only he could hear me. "What if they do not like me?"

"That will not happen; I can assure you. They will love you. I promise." he whispered back.

"Do they know about me?"

His eyes darted to his feet. I did not like the shame in his stance. I lifted his head to meet my eyes.

"I take that as a no?"

"It was too painful to talk about you." He whispered so quietly that I had to lean in closer. "I never shared that part of myself with them."

"I understand." I nodded with a warm smile. And I truly did. "I felt the same way. I could not even think about your name. It was as if the mere idea of the name Edward made it more painful. Every time it was as if a claw ripped another piece from my already empty chest."

"That is exactly how I felt," he admitted.

"Well," I forced a smile that I knew would not truly convince Edward. I did not like to think about the pain he had been through. "Let's meet them then."

Edward shot an annoyed look over my shoulder and I turned to see Alice shrug her shoulders. "I told you the wait would be worth it." A big grin was plastered on her face. "I knew this day was going to be great. And I have to say, reality beats my visions every time but especially today."

"It is much more than great, Alice." Edward said solemnly, his eyes still sparkling with unspilled venom. "It is so much more."

Edward interlaced our hands as he gently led me to his siblings, navigating the full cafeteria. "Bella, meet my siblings Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper and of course Alice." He pointed to the huge boy, the blond girl, the scared boy and Alice one after the other.

"I want to introduce you to my beautiful wife Isabella Masen."