Ally Pov

I woke up on Saturday morning from the light creeping past the curtains. I wasn't sure what time it was but either way I was already awake and far too aware of what today was. This would probably be the second hardest day I've ever had to live with. Which was both a sad and comforting thought, they were leaving but they would still be somewhere, still alive and well. I managed to carefully extract myself from Seth's still sleeping grip and slid out of bed, putting my glasses on. I grabbed my phone and took it into the bathroom with me, pulling up two new messages as I turned on the shower.

I'll be there tomorrow to help out. - BillThat was a surprise, I hadn't talked to him since our Christmas fiasco when the dinner ended up in a huge fight and he had grabbed his bags and left.

Where are you?- DaveThis one was sent at almost nine o'clock last night and I groaned, realizing that both of them would be there today. Well fuck, this was going to be a hell of a shit show. I jumped when a knock came from the door and replied as I called out to him.

"Come in."

Ill be there in a bit.-AllyI sent that to both of them as the door cracked open and Seth peered around it. He looked a little relieved and I wasn't sure what he expected to find.

"You okay? You sounded upset." I put my phone down on the counter and started looking around the big bathroom for my normal products.

"Both of my older brothers are going to be there today, I just found out." I said, opening one of the doors that looked to be a closet. The top two shelves where stocked with light blue fluffy towels and I gaped at the supplies on the other four. It was completely stocked with everything I might need. shampoos and conditioner, body wash and bath supplies. lotions and creams, tampons and pads. It was like a mini market.

"They really don't do things half assed do they?" I said, reaching for a towel.

"Not when Alice and Esme are involved. Why don't you want your brothers there?"

"It's not that, it's just...last time bill came for a visit it didn't end so well. Terrible actually, a big fight in the middle of dinner and Dave almost never visits." I put my towel on the rack beside the shower and searched for my contacts, finding them in a drawer on the right hand side of the counter.

"What was the fight about?" He asked, leaning against the open doorway.

"Me. I told him I wasn't planning on leaving for collage and he got upset, starting saying that I wasn't responsible for the whole family and that I needed to get away. It got ugly." He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. I crossed over to him, my hands landing on the smooth muscles of his forearms.

"Don't worry, im sure today will go better. You can always back out." He raised one brow at me but loosened his stance, one of his hands landing softly at my waist.

"Not happening. Go take your shower." He said then stepped back and closed the door behind him.

I showered, preserving some of that calm before the storm. One more day, just one more day before I could settle into this new...life. I suppose that's what it was, and I felt like I should feel guilty about that but I couldn't make myself. I got out, toweling my hair and body dry then wrapping it around myself. I yanked my brush threw my hair and put my contacts in before pulling the door open. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black t shirt, his boots already on and a sweatshirt laying on the bed. He leaned over the laptop on the desk, reading something on the screen.

"What are you doing?" I asked, walking towards the closet. He glanced up, his face looking shocked, and his eyes raked down my body. I felt my cheeks burn at his hot stare.

"You were sleeping so I didn't think to grab clothes.." I explained, backing a little closer to the closet door. He cleared his throat, his eyes moving back to my face.

"Its fine...I just wasn't expecting..." His eyes darted to my exposed skin above my towel line, and I saw him swallow and he turned his head back to the laptop.

"I was just reading an email from Embry about the shop. Do you want me to make breakfast?"

"Nah, we can just stop on the way. I need coffee anyways."

I stepped into the closet and closed the door most of the way, keeping it cracked so I could hear him. I pulled out my undergarment and put those on, searching for my comfortable pair of jeans, a black faded denim with holes and a missing belt loop. I tugged a maroon tank top on and pushed the door open wider. He was waiting on the bed, his hoodie on and gazing down at the carpet, his face pensive. I walked over to him, stepping between his legs and his face raised to mine.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I smiled at the old line my grandmother had asked me so often. Sometimes she would actually give me a penny and I remembered putting each one into a piggy bank that Bill had smashed one day. His hands settled gently on my hips, and he smiled a little.

"I was thinking that you're so beautiful." I fought the small smile on my face but lost, the pink in my cheeks accompany it.

"You were not." I said, stepping in closer and laying my arms around his shoulders.

"I really was, well that and something else." He said, his face waring almost as his smile flashed but his brows still remained drawn.

"What?" I said quietly, wondering what would make him look like that.

"I was...scolding myself." He admitted. I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out his words.

"For...looking at me in the towel?" I asked, guessing since that's the only thing I could come up with. He nodded and I snorted, stepping back from him.

"If it makes you feel better next time you shower come on out in your towel and ill ogle you some." I grinned at him and went back to the closet, looking through the hangers of my shirts. I recognized most but there were some that I definitely had not bought. He had followed me, leaning against the wall and watching me.

"You don't need to scold yourself Seth, there's nothing wrong with looking at your half naked girlfriend." I pulled on one of my favorite band t's and went back to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning into him.

"look if we're going to be sharing a room things like that are going to happen, it didn't bother me so I'd like you to not beat yourself up about it. Just enjoy the show." I said, grinning at the end. It worked and he finally cracked a grin, his hands resting on my back.

"I assure you I did." He said. I let my hands slip under the hem of his hoodie and onto his muscled stomach, his skin warm on my hands.

"Good." He smiled and leaned down, pressing a kiss to my lips before his hands slipped to mine and pulled them out.

"Come on, we have to go to your whole family, and I can't be thinking about...this." His eyes swept over me quickly and I grinned, feeling wanted by him was intoxicating.

"Yeah okay." I said but couldn't help leaning up and kissing him again. I felt his lips turn up into a smile against mine and his arms wrapped around me, crushing me into him.

We did eventually make it out the door, once he peeled me off of him and I had my sweatshirt and coat on. He held my doors like a perfect gentleman and once in town we found a Starbucks, getting coffee and donuts before driving over to my mom's house and parking on the road. The huge u-haul was parked in the driveway, a line of cars along the street. It was barley nine am, but the house was already bustling with activity. Seth took my hand as I looked out the window.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I sighed cause I didn't know how to answer that.

"Yes and no. Im sad but happy, nervous but also excited. Im not really sure which one I should be feeling." His thumb stroked the skin on the back of my hand soothingly and I knew he didn't have an answer either. When I saw Bill come out of the front door with boxes in his hands I figured we were out of time.

"Let's just get through today." I said. He killed the engine, getting out and I opened my door before he could, sliding out as he met me on my side, and he took my hand. My other hand fidgeted nervously with the end of my sweater as we walked up the drive.

The front door opened again and Dave stepped out as bill hoped down from the truck. I supposed for some it would be disconcerting that they looked so alike but despite being twins their personalities had always been opposite. Bill was the smart, responsible one. The one who had gone to collage to study architectural engineering, the one who also had a huge stick up his ass ninety nine percent of the time. Dave was hot headed and loud mouthed, the troublemaker from the time he could walk until high school graduation. He had taken off the week after graduation and had only been home twice since. From what I knew he worked at a bar in Oregon and lived in the apartment above it. Both of them turned to us and stopped, their eyes going to Seth who easily had about six inches on them.

"Dave, bill…this is Seth, my boyfriend." I gestured to them each, at least they were distinguishable. Dave had a scruffy beard and Bill wore glasses like me. Seth let my hand go only to step closer and hold it out for them.

"It's nice to meet you." He said, smiling easily and shaking their hands, then stepping back and taking mine again. The air between my brothers crackled and I wasn't sure what to make of it. As far as I knew they had never known about that night, and I didn't date before both of them left so this was a new encounter. The door opened again, and I sighed with relief as Jonah came out and spotted Seth. I was thrilled at how Seth had broken through Jonah's shy exterior the same he had with me, and Jonah seemed to really like him.

"Seth! You'll never believe what I found, mom kept telling me to pack it but I wanted to wait till you got here so you could see." Jonah said and grinned, then bolted back in the house leaving the door swinging open. Seth glanced at me and then the door, I gave his arm a little shove, more than happy to get him away from the other two. He followed Jonah into the house and I turned to them, crossing my arms over my chest and eyeing them both.

"So boyfriend huh?" Dave said, looking at me then the door that was closed now.

"Yes, we've been seeing each other for a couple weeks." A tiny fib maybe, but it was impossible to explain the real situation.

"He looks to old." Bill said, his usually calm face defensive.

"He's not too old and I care about him. Mom and Jonah both like him and if you do not play nice you will regret it." I threatened, my eyes narrowing at them until I knew they knew I was being serous. They glanced between each other, no doubt wondering if they could push me on this but then Bill nodded, so I turned and went into the house.

There was a little shriek of delight at the end of the hall where my aunt stood. I grinned, walking down to her quickly and accepting her bone crushing hug. My aunt was an eclectic crazy kind of woman, she was loving and sweet but had fire in her soul and wanderlust in her heart. She had the same straight strawberry blonde hair that I did and the narrow frame, but she was so much brighter than me. She had never let anything dull her sparkle, no matter how many times someone had tried. She'd never been married and had traveled the world for most of my life, only settling down recently back in her hometown and taking a teaching job for elementary school kids. She was an absolute inspiration to me my whole life, loving without binds and taking the world by her hands.

"Oh look at you, you're the most beautiful thing." She crooned, pulling back and looking me over. I laughed, seeing the mirror image of my future.

"You're just saying that cause I look like you." I said. She laughed heartily, pulling me back to her and whispering.

"I saw that man of yours, very nice choice dear." No doubt he had heard that and would let it go to his already huge ego.

"Thanks aunty, he is pretty great."

"Now I see why you didn't want to leave and come stay with your amazing aunt." She said, faking a little pout at me. I laughed but followed her back into the kitchen where she had been pushing boxes into the hallway for the boys to grab.

"It's not just him aunty, its more than that. Besides if I wanted to go I have a feeling he'd just follow." I felt a little more comfortable saying that to my aunt then I would to my mom. She had always seemed to understand more in life, see the bigger and better things then the everyday mundane ones my mom did.

"Thats when you know you got a keeper." She said and winked.

We spent a couple hours packing everything into the u-haul, Seth helping Dave and Bill with the larger things. He seemed to make friends with everybody, easily chatting with Dave while they loaded the big tv from the family room and I smiled. It was impossible not to like him, especially not when he tried like that. Mom and I worked on cleaning out the rooms once they were emptied and aunty went to go get pizza around noon. They would leave soon, driving for a couple hours then stop for the night. It was a fifteen-hour drive from this town in Montana to Elizabeth Colorado, where they had both been born. Once they had left so would Bill and Dave, going back to their lives. By three o'clock we were done, the u-haul packed, the house empty. It was a strange, bittersweet atmosphere. I had lived here my whole life, gained and lost so much and yes the pain lingered in the walls but no more than it lingered within me. Saying goodbye to my family no matter how temporary didn't mean we didn't love each other, we just needed different things in life. I hugged Aunty and Jonah, then forced one on Bill and Dave and turned to mom. She smiled gently, enveloping me in her skinny frame. There were so many things that popped in my head to say, and when I pulled back I could see them in her eyes also, but she just held my face and kissed my cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you to mom." Go, I wanted to say, go heal, find joy again and happiness. Find something that makes you smile and feel alive.

I had, I though, looking at Seth who was kneeling in front of Jonah, shaking his small hand. It made me feel so happy the way Jonah looked at him, like he was something to live up to. Seth stood and my Aunt claimed him next for a hug. I noticed her mouth move quickly but I was too far away to hear it. Minutes later mom and Jonah slide into her minivan with the cat carrier in his lap, Aunty got behind the wheel of the u-haul, Dave in his shabby looking truck and Bill in his shiny bmw, then carefully they all pulled out, one by one and disappeared down the road. I gripped Seth's hand tightly, fighting the emotion trying to take me over.

"What did Aunty say to you?" I asked. My mother had just given him a small hug before ushering Jonah in her car. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into him and I buried my face in his chest, letting just a few tears escape.

"She asked me to take care of you." He said quietly, his head resting on top of mine. I had to laugh, as much as it hurt that my mom was too broken to ask, my Aunt hadn't been. I didn't have to ask him what he had said, I already knew that answer.

"Do you want to go home?" I thought about that, I did feel tired but not in a nap kind of way, just in a drained way and I didn't actually feel like doing nothing, maybe it was to keep the tears at bay but either way.

"Not really, let's just go for a drive or something." He opened my door for me, and I climbed in.

When he got onto the road he took my hand, laying our joined fingers in my lap. We drove around for a while, taking random back roads and finding our way into surrounding towns. With the music up and windows cracked I leaned my head back, letting it all wash through me till I felt calmer and more stable. I reminded myself to focus on the good, like finishing high school and my new home at the Cullens with Seth. I would see them again and in the meantime I got him. My mind went back to yesterday morning and my face brightened. Okay so maybe spending all my free time with him was getting a little trickier, but he only had himself to blame. It's not my fault he's so dam handsome. His hand squeezed mine just then and I glanced over, noting how his eyes darted to me.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked and I laughed.

"Why do you always catch me when im thinking about you?" He grinned, his eyes shining with mischief.

"What about me?" He asked and I blushed. He laughed out loud, reading my face easily and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Im hungry." I said, half to distract him cause I knew he was always hungry. He still grinned but turned around at the next light, heading back to town.

"Dinner and a movie?" I grinned at how perfectly normal that sounded.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

We stopped at the dinner on the corner of main street, the only popular road in this town. Everything that you could possibly do for fun was in a three-block radius of this one street. We ordered after sliding into one of the booths that was in a relatively quiet corner.

"If you want to go and visit at any point, just tell me." He said, after taking a sip of soda.

"And what will you do if I want to?" I asked.

"Take you there." He said, like it wasn't even a question. Years of defensive walls kicked in, my natural response coming out without my permission.

"I don't need you to take me anywhere, I can do it."

I wanted to smack myself as I saw that weary look come into his eyes, like he was walking on eggshells all of a sudden and I was immediately guilty. He was just trying to be there for me, to help me however he could, and I had to go and try to push it away. I let my eyes fall to the table, almost hoping that he would get mad or maybe just leave me there. I'd have deserved it, but he wouldn't. No he would never do something like that, I knew it.

"I'd like my trophy in rose gold, the plaque can read 'Worlds bitchy's ungrateful girlfriend'." I sighed and glanced back up at him, he still looked hurt, and I reached forward, taking his hand as his eyes met mine.

"Im sorry."

"It's okay." He said easily, shrugging it off.

"It's not. You've done nothing but be there for me and I was a bitch." He growled low in his chest, only loud enough for me to hear.

"Don't call yourself that." He said angrily, taking me by surprise. Then his face smoothed out, relaxing into a calm mask.

"It's my natural instincts Ally, to want to take care of you. I can't help those." I gripped his hand harder, wishing we weren't sitting in a public dinner so I could get closer.

"I know, I didn't mean to...it just came out...it's my conditioned response ." His face went back to being hurt, still controlled after his quick temper but open again.

"I hate that this is so hard for you, that you've had to build this...wall for yourself. I hate that you've had to do this alone." I realized then the sadness in his eyes wasn't over me snapping at him, it wasn't his own feelings hurt, it was his pain for me that I saw. The anger he had for the way I had to survive the past couple years. I thought through my words carefully, forcing myself to think, accept and say what I was about to so I could really try to believe it.

"Im not anymore and that's all that really matters." I made sure to keep my eyes on him when I said it, repeating it in my head. Im not alone. You're not alone anymore. Not alone. Maybe if I said it again and again to myself it would stick, maybe I could really believe it than.

His eyes simmered with emotions, and he looked on the verge of saying something but stopped himself as the waitress brought by our food. We ate our food while Seth pulled up the cinema play times. There wasn't a whole lot out but there was a new horror movie that we'd both enjoy, and it conveniently started in about half an hour. He picked up the bill once it was dropped off, in fact he had always paid when we did anything. I didn't argue, mostly because the small funds I had in my bank account were slightly pathetic, but I suppose I should start thinking about a job if I wasn't going to go to college right away.

"Can you afford to not work for this long?" I asked, then remembered that was probably a rude question. He looked slightly startled at that but then chuckled.

"I could probably not work at all if I wanted to, since im part owner in the shop I get paid no matter what, I just put in time there so I had something to do. Besides, Alice is a wiz when it comes to investments." He winked as he slid out of the booth and waited for me. I took his hand, and we started out of the diner, walking along the sidewalk.

"What about you?" He asked, his brows pulled down slightly. I shrugged.

"I have some, I've worked summer jobs for the past couple of years, but it never seems to add up. Must be all the shoes." I said, giving him a little grin and he laughed.

"Well I have plenty so it's not a worry." Again I felt myself bristle, the irrational annoyance and anger grappling for my tongue.

"Seth." I managed to say, trying to think before I just spoke. He seemed to understand either way and he sighed.

"Allison. Did we not just have a conversation about my instincts to care for you? you can't seriously think I'd let you go without something you want or needed if I had the means to get it." I tried to pull my hand away, but he didn't let me.

"Thats different. I get putting aside my attitude and letting you be there for me when I need it but that doesn't mean im just going to ask you for whatever." He paused in front of the cinema and leaned against the brick building, looking at me with an exasperated expression.

"Can we fight about this some other time?" He asked, one half of his mouth pulling up into a smirk. I glared at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Why?"

"Cause your way to cranky for me to win." He said and then gave me a perfect smile, as if to soften the blow. I punched his chest, regretting it instantly when my knuckles cracked against his hard body. He laughed and took my hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing them softly.

"Tell me, are you extra moody because of today or is it always like this before that week." The way he emphasized 'that' in his sentence told me exactly what he meant, and my eyes narrowed. I wouldn't admit to him that I hadn't even considered that was probably exactly why I was extra cranky, I had always been moody on the days leading up to my period.

"Keep it up and you'll never know cause you'll find yourself awfully single." I threatened, a hollow one no doubt he noticed but it made my point clear.

I turned to the doors, but they opened as a large group of teenagers came out. Two things happened almost simultaneously, Seth stepped forward and pulled me behind himself at the same time I noticed Brad and his two puppy guard dogs break from the group and eye me. Brad's sneer was evil, but he glanced around the busy street and then at Seth. No matter how big his ego there was no way he would try to take him on. He kept his arm around me, locking me behind him, I didn't have to see his face to know his eyes were murderous as he stared down Brad.

After a minute they joined the group again, heading down the sidewalk. I felt his body relax slightly and he pulled me back to his side, pulling the door open and his hand slid to my back, guiding me through. We got our tickets, and I laughed when Seth bought popcorn and Twizzlers. He handed me my drink and we stopped at the bathroom before finding our seats. We laughed at the same time that everybody around us hid or shrieked. I settled into his side, moving the arm rest up out of the way. The past couple of hours had served as a perfect distraction from the overwhelming sadness I was feeling before, I was sure it wasn't gone, just pushed away for now as a reprieve and I was thankful, for it and him. His right arm was around me, his left hand holding my own and I tilted my head up to him.

"Thank you, for being here today." I said quietly, making sure not to disturb the half empty theater, the closest person was an isle and half a dozen seats away anyway. His face lowered closer to mine, his thumb caressing the back of my hand.

"Thats why im here princess." He whispered back, the pet name he'd adopted with me making me smile at him. He brushed his lips to mine, chaste since we were in public but no less sweet and I turned back to the movie, resting my head on his chest.

We got home later, and I changed while he went to shower. I felt like it was the start of a nice and easy routine. I crawled into bed after pulling on shorts, wrapping the big comforter around me and hunkering down. I felt raw, the overwhelming feelings just under the surface now. He came out a couple minutes later, his eyes finding mine immediately and he shut off the lights before sliding into bed and gathering me in his arms. I don't know if he expected the dam to burst or not, but it did. A slow trickle at first, my eyes welled, and I tried to fight it, tried to swallow back the guilt and sorrow but my throat constricted, and my chest felt so heavy that I couldn't breathe. I felt like I would shatter, pieces of me breaking off until I was nothing, if it wasn't for Seth holding me so tightly to him, holding all those pieces of me together. The chasm in my chest throbbed, as if to join in on the fun with every old heartbreak.

He spoke hushed soothing words, not asking me not to cry but just making sure I knew he was there. He whispered that it would be alright, that I could see them whenever I wanted. I felt worse for making him witness this again, but I didn't have it in me to stop. The tears and pain ran its course, eventually slowing to a dull ach, in both my chest and head as I let the exhaustion pull me under.