The silence between us was heavy. Neither of us really know how to start. I had thought of this moment so many times. A million different scenarios of flinging myself at him or telling him to fuck off and leave me alone. Any question I thought to ask seemed to complex. So I went with simple.

"Why."

Edward startled. That one word question more loaded than any speech I could've thought up. We looked at each other then. Acknowledging the time between us, the changes and drinking in each other's faces like we used to do so long ago.

"Your birthday. The incident with Jasper. Every second you spent around me or my family, it was tempting fate. Something was bound to happen and it did. I left to keep you safe." he murmured. I scoffed at that.

"Fat load of good that did, huh?" I shot back. "Just because you're a 100 year old vampire doesn't mean you know better Edward. I understood the risks of being with you or around your family. I knew Jasper was newer to this life than any of you. I knew out of all he was likely the biggest risk. I knew all of that." I seethed. I was surprised at how much I was remembering, maybe the anger was giving me a boost. "You had no right to decide what was best for me, like some child who doesn't know any better! It's not 1918 anymore. For someone who has the ability to read minds, decades to learn the human psyche and you still thought you had the definitive say so on our relationship." I stalked several feet away from him, breathing hard.

"Bella, I am more sorry than you could ever imagine." Edward whispered. I turned to face him, years of hurt, agony and torment so clear on my face.

"You said you didn't want me. You didn't love me anymore. Sam may have shown you the visual aftermath of your departure, but there aren't any words that can come close to ever describing the agony you left in your wake." I sank down to the ground, bringing my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. My eyes stung with tears that wouldn't fall, but would crash around me of they could.

"I thought it was the ri-"

"Don't you dare tell me you thought it was the right thing to do. I became a shell of a person, Edward. I was so in love with you. Enchanted, bewitched, with every ounce of my being, in love with you. When I looked at you I saw my future, it was always by your side. You tore that away from me when you left and didn't stop to think of the pieces you left behind. It took 7 months for me to resemble anything close to a functioning human. Another year to even begin to enjoy a sliver of my existence. I stayed here in this dead end town because some small part of me hoped you'd come back." I threw my hands up in the air. "and you have," I swallowed. "But after I've been changed, as revenge." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

"It was supposed to be you, Edward. You who changed me. I wanted forever with you, I wanted you to be my creator, so we were tied together in one of the most complete of ways. But you didn't want me forever. You just wanted me for a little bit." I finished quietly.

It was silent for a while. Edward noticed the need for it, probably waiting to see if there was any more to come. There was more but I didn't know what to say right now.

"Bella. I didn't mean any of what I told you. I left because I thought it was the only way to keep you alive. To keep you human. You have absolutely no idea how fragile you were as a human." I stared at him, mouth hanging open.

"Edward, I had to carry my Dad down the stairs with every bone in his chest broken, along with multiple fractures. I was tortured by Riley. I am fully aware of how fragile I was. But apparently, my trust in you meant fuck all, right?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"No it didn't mean fuck all to me. It meant everything. That you would trust me with your life in my hands after James. I tried to put it behind me, to move on from that horrific day in the ballet studio. But all I could think of what would the next thing be? One of us? A nomad? The Volutri?!" He started pacing now, why was he angry? "I was obsessed with your safety. And now, in doing the one thing I thought was best, it was what hurt you the most. I failed miserably."

"Yeah, you did fail. You could've spoken to me about your worries, what scared you. We were in a relationship. A partnership. We were supposed to be honest with each on a level we weren't with anyone else and you didn't trust me enough to know what was best- for me." I could see the words cutting exactly how I wanted them to.

"Didn't you want forever with me? You risked everything to be together and what, you were going to have a handful of human years then I'd be dead." I held his stare until he looked away.

"I would've found a way to follow soon after." he said flatly.

"You.. What? We would've had 60 years at best, I would've looked like I was shacking up with someone young enough to be my grandson, died and then you would've off'd yourself after?" I was dumbfounded.

Edward merely nodded, looking embarrassed. Or sad. I had to laugh at that. "How incredibly short sighted, Edward. Typical of you to think of such a thing."

His head shot up at that, apparently offended. I raised eyebrow at him. "What, did you think that was particularly romantic? And you didn't answer me. You risk everything, we went through James together, you risk your families lives as well and you didn't want forever with me?" I just shook my head. I was an idiot.

"Bella, I did want you forever. I still do. I am still unbelievably, hauntingly in love with you. You have followed me all over the world, occupied every inch in the expanse of my mind. I didn't think I could stay away from you this long and every time I started to steer towards you, I managed to turn the opposite way, telling myself that it was best for you. But I was slowly coming back. It was unbearable being away from you. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances... " He trailed off.

"I would've followed you, Edward." I murmured. "In this life, to the next and every world in between." I finally stood, taking slow deliberate steps to him and stopped inches from him and took a long deep breath. I looked up into his onyx eyes. I still loved him. From the top of my head, to the bottom of my feet and in the very depths of my soul.

"I am not saying that everything is forgiven, that I am over being abandoned. I don't wholely blame you for what Victoria did to me." I held up a finger as he tried to talk. "No, it isn't your fault, but you knew she would want revenge and you knew, at some point, she'd come to claim it. And she did. In spades. And you left me unprotected. It is what it is. I can't change it. Neither can you." I put my hand tentatively over his still heart, as he mirrored the gesture over mine and I closed my eyes.

Yes, it still absolutely belonged to him, the simple contact already softening the vicious edges of the hole he left.

I kept my head bowed, taking the time to marvel at being the same temperature as him. How his body didn't feel frozen, but pliable and right.

"I'm not saying this is the beginning of our forever. If you truly are sorry, you need to show me that you respect me as a woman capable of making her own choices. To treat me as equal and not something to be controlled or coddled. I'm not so easily hurt now and I can look after myself, as I was doing it long before we met all those years ago." I stated softly. I looks into his eyes as he started to slowly lower his face to mine. I put a finger to his lips, shaking my head and instead put our foreheads together.

"This is all I can give you for now. I still feel the pull, that current that's more than just simple attraction." I whispered. Though I wanted to more, if I gave myself to him now, it wouldn't mean anything. We both had to do this right.

"I understand, love." Edward took my face in his hands. "I will prove to you how sorry I am, I will do all I can show you what you mean to me." he kissed my forehead and stook a step back. "Now, would you do me the honour of hunting along side me?"

I bit my lip, torn between wanting to and wanting space. His slight smile dropped a fraction. He knew the answer.

"I still need space, Edward. And I need to talk to Carlisle and prepare for Charlie." I said apologetically,offering a small smile. "Besides, we got time, don't forget that."

With that, I turned and sprinted for the house, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

Don't think Edward has gotten away easy! Some habits are hard to break, even after so much time has passed!