I'm not going to lie, this story is going to be a lot shorter than I had expected. But don't worry, what it lacks in length, it makes up for in emotional impact! There are still a few chapters to go, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. (I do not own Twilight!)
I felt my world tilt, my chest tightening painfully. I had leaned on the wall for support as I ripped myself out of Tanya's mind. She knows.
Tanya's thoughts were like a sharp knife, cutting through my mind as she replayed her conversation with Bella in her head. She had no idea what she'd done, no idea how badly she had just shattered the fragile balance I'd carefully crafted. The way Tanya casually mentioned the process of Bella becoming a vampire, assuming Bella already understood, it was a fatal mistake. Bella's expression in Tanya's flashback burned into my memory: a mixture of shock, disbelief, and that horrible, unmistakable look of betrayal.
She's hurt because of me.
I had worked so hard to keep her safe from the truth. To shield her from this world, from the dangerous reality I lived in. But in my attempts to protect her, I had been dishonest… And now the damage was done. Bella had found out, and it was like everything I had feared coming to life. I had spent so much time convincing myself that I was doing the right thing by lying to her, by keeping the truth from her, but at what cost? She wasn't just angry. She was heartbroken. And I was the one responsible.
She said she loves me... For so long, I'd been carrying this love, silently aching to confess it, letting it grow with every passing day. I'd been waiting for the right moment, unsure if she felt the same. And then, there it was, her confession. She loved me too. And I betrayed her.
The overwhelming panic surged through me, leaving me gasping for control. I wanted to run to her, to explain, to beg for forgiveness, but how could I? I had lied to her since the beginning, told her things that weren't true. How could she ever trust me again?
I don't deserve her trust.
As my mind spiraled, Alice's voice suddenly broke through my thoughts, but it was filled with an unfamiliar kind of sorrow.
"Edward," she said, her voice quiet but heavy, "The vision… the vision is gone."
The words stung, deeper than anything I had ever felt. She can't see Bella as a vampire anymore. The one vision that had always been clear in her mind, the future where Bella and I could be together forever. Isn't this what I wanted?
I had wanted Bella to be free of this cursed existence, hadn't I? I had wanted her to grow old, to live a full, human life, one untouched by the shadow of immortality and hunger. I had wanted her to be happy, to be safe, to live without the burden of vampires looming over her every day.
But now, all that was left was the aching, undeniable truth:
I can't live without her.
The thought crashed through me, sharp and unyielding, as if it were someone else's voice in my head; final, inevitable. The decision wasn't mine anymore. It was made for me, carved into my soul with an intensity I couldn't escape.
The idea of her going on without me, without us, felt like a deep, soul-crushing void. What would I do without her? How could I bear to walk through eternity without seeing her face, without hearing her voice, without holding her hand?
No. I couldn't lose her. Not like this. Not when I had the chance to fix it.
The rest of the family, their confusion obvious in their wide eyes, began to ask questions—demand answers. But unlike me, they couldn't feel the raw pain burning through me, the desperate pull in my chest. They couldn't read Alice or Tanya's mind, couldn't sense the unbearable weight of what was at stake. I couldn't bring myself to speak, to explain.
Without saying goodbye or a second thought, I had rushed from my house. Leaving Alice responsible for the interrogations that started by the others. My mind raced faster than my body, but the urgency I felt, the push that brought me closer, each step driven by the desperate need to make things right.
I reached her house faster than I had ever moved before, my legs carrying me in a blur of desperation. My dead heart tightening in my chest as I scaled the side of her house, reaching her bedroom window. I tried the latch, but it was locked. Panic shot through me. I pressed my face to the glass and searched the room. It was empty. I couldn't hear her heartbeat, the sound that had always been my anchor. There was only one beat that I recognized immediately. Charlie's.
A knot of dread formed in my stomach. She wasn't here.
I froze, every muscle in my body locked in place. Where was she?
I bolted to the front door, my fist pounding against the wood, trying to control the urge to break it down in my frantic search. Each knock echoed like a hammer, the sound ringing in my ears as time seemed to stretch, each second heavier than the last. Charlie opened the door, his face lined with frustration, his thoughts swirling with irritation and a sadness I couldn't ignore.
"Edward… What are you doing here?" He asked, his tone blunt and annoyed.
"I came to see Bella," I rushed out, my voice trembling with urgency.
His eyebrows shot up, surprise flickering across his face, quickly replaced by confusion. "Didn't Bella tell you? You're supposed to be her best friend, after all." There was a hint of something darker in his voice, and his thoughts turned inward, replaying the moment she said she was leaving.
She left?
His memory hit me like a physical punch. Bella had left, just like that. She was gone. His mind painted the argument she'd had with him, sharp words flying, her frustration seeping through every sentence. She'd told him she was done with Forks, that she hated it here, and that she was going back to her mom in Jacksonville. It had come out of nowhere, and Charlie couldn't understand it. She'd reassured him that there was no deeper reason, no hidden truth, but Charlie's mind started to linger on me.
After seeing me, he was convinced I was to blame. My mind spiraled further into chaos, blocking out everything else he said.
Jacksonville. The words echoed in my mind like a nightmare. Bella was leaving… No… she was gone.
The shock hit me like a physical blow. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. My entire world, the fragile thread that had held me in place, was unraveling. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight. Bella had left. She had made a decision after finding out my lie and left…
Charlie's voice broke through my fog of panic, but his words were jumbled, filled with anger, his confusion spreading in his thoughts. But I couldn't focus. His questions, his fury, it all melted away into a haze.
"Thank you..." I muttered, my voice heavy with defeat, before turning and walking off, ignoring his attempts to call me back.
Once I was out of his site, I ran. The woods swallowed me up and I ran until the world around me became a blur, until every tree and boulder shattered beneath my fists as I past. The rage inside me was all-consuming. I didn't know where I was going, didn't care. I just needed to feel something other than the hollow emptiness in my chest. I needed to break something. I needed to release this pressure building inside me.
Then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, my phone rang. Alice.
I didn't want to answer. My frustration and guilt clawed at me, dragging me further down into despair. But the sight of her name on the screen was a lifeline. A fragile sliver of hope that I wasn't ready to let go of.
"Alice…" I breathed into the phone, my voice breaking, raw with panic. The feeling of helplessness clawed at me from the inside, threatening to rip me apart.
She didn't hesitate. Her words were quick, but full of conviction. "Do you want to make this right, Edward?"
The question hit me like a slap, but I didn't think. I didn't pause. "Of course I do!" I said, the certainty in my voice a sharp contrast to the confusion that raged inside me.
"Even if it meant going against your beliefs? Even if it could change everything?" she continued, her voice urgent, pushing me, forcing me to face what I'd been running from.
I fell silent. My mouth moved as if to speak, the words right on the tip of my tongue, but they never escaped. I understood what she meant. I knew the decision I had to make. The answer was there, buried deep inside me, but I couldn't summon the strength to say it.
Then Alice's tone shifted, sharp and urgent. "You still have time, Edward. You can still stop her. She's at the airport. You need to get there before her plane takes off."
The airport.
I felt a jolt of hope spark inside me. I still have time.
That small piece of information was all it took to stop my racing thoughts and propel me into action. I didn't need to answer. I already knew what I had to do.
I didn't waste a second. I shoved the phone in my pocket and ran faster than I ever had before, my body moving on pure instinct, driven by the one thing that mattered above all else. I had to get to her. I couldn't let her slip through my fingers, not like this. After running for what felt like forever, I saw the Port Angeles International airport sign blur past me as I saw my destination.
I'm not going to lose her.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We're just about ready to begin our journey to Jacksonville. As we take off, if you look to your right, you'll catch a glimpse of the stunning mountains of Washington. And if you look to your left, you'll see a crying vampire, currled up in a ball in the middle of the tarmac. Enjoy the flight!