A/N: Posting this early because we're moving out of state at the end of the month and I gotta start PACKING lolol. This will probably be my last chapter until we're settled in. But I am currently writing chapter 24 so no fear! I have a bunch of chapters to upload once we're settled. Love all of y'all and hopefully I'll be back soon.

Cause I don't wanna lose you now

I'm lookin' right at the other half of me

The vacancy that sat in my heart

Is a space that now you hold

Show me how to fight for now

And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy

Comin' back here to you once I figured it out

You were right here all along

Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

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My mood is somber and reflective as I walk back to the house. Alice had already returned home. She said she saw me asking for some alone time. I sigh as I look up to see Tanya worriedly waiting for me.

"Edward!" She flies into my arms.

"I was concerned but Alice said you needed to be alone."

"We gotta talk princess."

Whatever she hears in my voice makes her jerk back to look at me. Her face twists in despair. She immediately uncoils from me, taking a massive step back.

"Oh." Is all she says.

"Tan." I breathe out.

"No it's..fine. I-" A whimper bubbles up out of her throat.

"I'm sorry. I really am. If I could I would make this work. Please tell me you know that." I growl.

"I know. I just thought things would be different. It felt different this time."

"Alice says it's cause I'm depressed." I chuckle humorlessly

"You're really in love with her huh?" She grimaces.

"Doesn't stop me from loving you too." I run my fingers through my hair harshly.

"I wish it was enough."

Her voice is so broken it actually causes me physical pain. Tanya and I were never met to be. I know that now. While our past will always be intertwined, while I will always have some feelings for her and care for her, it will never go further than that. I regret letting her have any hope. I knew I couldn't reciprocate but the companionship was nice. If I concentrated just right it was like the good old days. Before Bella.

"I hope we can still be friends." I murmur.

"I'm not sure that's possible Edward. Not while your human is alive."

I don't bother to tell her that if Bella died I would follow her. Nor do I bring up the vision plaguing Alice's mind. The one where a certain chocolate eyed beauty ends up as a golden eyed beauty.

"So this is goodbye?"

"Yes." Her voice cracks.

I cup her face, tilting her head back. "Edward?" She questions.

"Shh, let me give you a proper farewell."

Our lips move together languidly. There's no rush. No all consuming passion. Not the way it was with Bella. I drag the tip of my tongue across her bottom lip, begging for access. Our tongues tangle together slowly before I pull back. I give her one last peck, resting my forehead against hers. Her hands grip my shirt desperately; soft cries escaping her.

"I hope you find someone to love you the way you deserve." I exhale.

She's gone in the blink of an eye. My arms hang in mid air as if still wrapped around her. I unfreeze only to stagger inside almost in a daze. What's done is done. My future is with Bella. If Alice's visions are anything to go by then it means that Bella still wants me. If she still craves a relationship with me I would gladly give it to her. I have never wanted anyone the way I want my angel.

"I can't pinpoint when but you'll be reunited soon." The pixies thoughts ascend to me.

"Thank you Alice." I murmur quietly.

Tanya never comes back. Kate calls and tells us to just ship anything of value back to Alaska, that Tanya just needs time. I groan internally. The torment I caused Tanya will haunt me for a lifetime.

"You torture yourself too much."

I lift my head to see Jasper leaning in the doorway of my room. "Go away Jazz." I hiss before throwing myself back down.

"Alice sent me up here to try to talk sense into you. I told her it was pointless. You need to just get it out of your system." He chuckles.

"And yet you're still fucking here." I grunt.

"There he is! The cranky Edward we all know and love!" He cries happily while clapping his hands.

I growl low and flick him off. It only makes him laugh out loud.

"I don't understand why everyone insist on bothering me."

"We're all worried about you Edward. I know you don't want to admit it but Bella is your mate. Being separated for this long is bound to cause side effects on both sides. You haven't been yourself in weeks."

We drift into a comfortable silence. I agree that I haven't been myself but I have no clue what to do about it. Should I hunt her down? Wait for her to hunt me down? I'm at a total loss. My world is completely off kilter without her. I'm spiraling in an endless abyss.

I don't wait for long. It's only a few days after my conversation with Jasper that I sense a change in the air.

My pace is slow as I walk home from yet another hunting trip. I've been over feeding to make sure when I reunite with Bella I don't feel the urge to drain her. Highly likely but I want to try to give myself a better chance. I stiffen suddenly, my nostrils flaring. Speak of the devil. I take off, following her scent.

"Great I'm fucking lost. Jess said the Cullens lived outside of town. What the fuck does that even mean! How far out of town?" She mutters to herself.

I take a step closer. I just need to see her better. Her body spins to face the dark forrest as I accidentally step on a twig.

"Who's out there? Don't come any closer. I know how to incapacitate an attacker!" Her voice jumps up a few octaves.

I grin widely to myself. My bold, sweet girl. She wouldn't even last one second with a human man, let alone a vampire. She laughs nervously to herself, running her fingers through her thick brown hair. I cock my head to the side as I watch her curiously.

"My phone gps doesn't show anything but fucking woods out here. How am I supposed to find Edward like this." Her voice cracks at my name.

My resolve fractures unexpectedly at the sound of her sorrowful voice.

"You know it's dangerous to be out in the middle of nowhere all alone."

"Edward?" She gasps.

She flings herself into my arms. I stroke her cheeks as she turns into a blubbering mess. "Edward, Edward. I can't believe it's really you."

"Shh stop crying." I say thickly, choking on emotions myself.

Her lips meet mine eagerly. It's like a fire ignites in me. I blister under her searing touch. I match her fevered pace without hesitation. Our lips move together forcefully. She breaks away to wildly suck in air giving me time to ram my tongue down her throat. Our tongues fight for dominance. I pull back with a snarl to give her another chance to breathe.

"Fuck. I didn't mean to maul you." I groan.

A wasted apology. Her eyes are heavy lidded with bliss. She smiles lazily as she looks up at me. I bark out a laugh squeezing her close.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." Her tone is accusatory.

I hum brushing our noses together. "Is that so?"

"Yes. I thought you had an out when I died." She juts her bottom lip out in a pout.

I can feel my eyes darken at the action. I stroke her swollen bottom lip hungrily. "You told me to go. I was just following your orders."

"Jesus fuck Edward. I didn't mean permanently." She huffs.

I smirk. Some deep part of me loves when she talks to me that way. She's blunt and rude. Tanya would never talk to me that way. Bella was my perfect match. She could handle my ferocity and channel it, bring me down from the edge. Though the feral side of me didn't like his mate talking to him insolently. He demanded respect.

I grip her chin yanking her face within an inch of my own. "You and that mouth." I murmur reverently.

Her eyes dilate as she licks her lips. "You told me to go. It was either that or I killed your father. I was on the edge of losing the little control I had. He could already tell there was something…not right about me."

"You should've come back. I missed you. I didn't know where you were or how to find you."

A rough purr escapes me at her words. "I…I thought you didn't want me. I couldn't understand how easy it was for you to walk away."

"Oh Edward. My silly handsome man. It wasn't easy at all. I've been a mess without you. But I needed to play a part for my dad." Her voice is soft.

"I see. I think I understand now."

"Do you?" Her expression is skeptical.

"Yes. Maybe?" I laugh. "Your human rules confuse me. I can't lie about that."

"All that matters is you won't leave me again right?"

"I'll follow you until the earth burns to nothing." I murmur.

Her answering grin is wide and dazzling. "I like the sound of that."

"Now tell me sweet girl what the hell are you doing parked on the side of the road."

"Looking for you duh. My friend Jessica was going on and on about the handsome new doctor in town. When she mentioned something about gold eyes I knew."

Of course Carlisle would start working at the hospital again. He seemingly can't go one second without helping someone. "Ahh of course the gold eyes." I nod my head.

Her eyes narrow. "Speaking of, I see you're sporting those same eyes."

My grin is wide. "A certain chocolate eyed goddess appeared to want them. I just do as I'm told."

Her fingers rub the skin under my eyes. "They are infinitely better than red I will admit."

"I'm sure." My voice is gravelly.

"I really want you to fuck me Edward." She moans faintly. Her tone is almost off hand.

My grin widens. "What a needy, dirty little angel you are." I croon.

She groans and presses her body against me, searching for friction. I give it to her. I grip her thighs, lifting her up so her legs are wrapped around my waist, and press my cock up against her molten hot pussy.

"YES EDWARD!" She cries.

I growl against her throat, thrusting harshly. Her nails claw at me with impatience.

"Isabella." I groan.

"Please Edward please."

Her pants are gone in a flash. I fumble with my zipper, my dick so hard it aches. I ram my cock inside her almost brutally. With her walls pulsating around me I know I won't last long at all. I take her savagely against the hood of her truck.

Snarls and growls rip out of me as I pound her pussy. "I won't last." I grunt.

But she's delirious so I don't get a response. Her moans are loud as I pick up my pace, my balls already tight.

"Baby." I pant. It's a plea.

Her teeth clamp down on my neck, trying to silence herself, as she gushes all over me. I freeze for a split second before cumming with a roar. I barely have time to think, biting my arm to stop from biting her.

"Fucking hell."

"My legs feel like jello." She whimpers.

I chuckle as I pull my pants back up. I gently pull her pants back too before peppering kisses all over her face.

"I was worried that after all this time the sex wouldn't be the same. But I'm glad to see that I was wrong."

I cock my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought your diet might've changed you. You'd be more like Alice or Jasper when we finally were together again. But you aren't. You still fuck like your feral." She swoons.

I shake my head laughing. "Bella our civility has nothing to do with our bedside manners. In any case no, my diet is not going to change that. You have nothing to worry about. I only hold back enough to not obliterate your pelvis in one thrust."

She sits up straight. "You can do that?"

"I'm stronger than you can imagine. If I wasn't as old as I am, as practiced, I could unquestionably kill you by accident. As it stands I still lose restraint. I had to bite myself during to stay in control."

"What!?" She chokes out.

I run my fingers through my hair anxiously. "How can I explain this so you'll understand. Sex for vampires is as consuming as feeding. It can cloud the mind, make you not think straight. For human x human pairings or vampire x vampire pairing I'm sure that's not a problem. But for us..it means I'm more likely to kill you. I can grip you too hard or thrust too forcefully. I never fully give in. And when you orgasm well. It's the only time I actually go brain dead. The urge to bite is most overwhelming then."

"Is that why you bit me the first time?"

"Yes. I needed to. My teeth throbbed with the urge to bite. It's instinct. It would probably still happen if you were a vampire too. And I would still bite you."

"Wow. So do I get the same urges? I bit you. And I'm not really sure why. It's like I had no control over myself." Her brows knit in puzzlement.

"I'm not sure. Carlisle might have an explanation for your side of things. I'm not opposed to the biting though." I smirk.

"I bet you aren't." She sneers

"I meant I'm not opposed to you biting me. I won't bite you again Bella. It's not safe. I've been without your blood for too long and I could accidentally slip. I would drain you dry." My voice is ominous.

"Guess you're stuck with me." She jokes cheerily.

"Until the earth burns to nothing my love."

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME HAHA. There's nothing going on between Tanya and Edward. They're just two lonely souls who took comfort in each other at the time. But this is still an Edward/Bella story. I promise you that.