HE LEFT ME!!

anguish

Edward

We had arrived in Seattle much earlier than I had expected. Of course, that was nothing I would ever complain about. I was anxious to see Bella again. Even more anxious to hold her in my arms. That is, if she would let me hold her again. I would see her again, regardless of her happiness. It had taken the span of a flight to decide that. Alice, to say the least, was thrilled with my decision. She had pleasantly blocked her thoughts from me after that.

After landing, Alice, Jasper and I took a cab to the nearest car dealer. The rest of our family was finding their own route home. There was no telling how long we would be here and anew car was a must. "Let me see that one," I pointed out the new shiny silver Volvo to the dealer. Alice moaned.

"Edward! Get something new."

"That is new," I said pointedly, walking over to the vehicle. I ran my hand along the length of it's glossy surface, "Mine is two years older than this one. I like this model."

"Fine, then. We'll take it," Alice grumbled, following the dealer into the room to complete the transaction. We paid off the car in one lump sum and were driving off to Bella's house in a matter of minutes.

I drove faster than normal, even for me, anxious to get to Bella's house. Alice stared out the window, into the drizzling rain. Jasper sat next to her, his hand locked in her own. My gaze flitted back to them, my heart aching. I missed that feeling.

"You'll see her soon," Jasper answered. My shocked eyes flew back to him at his intuition and he chuckled in response. "Come on, Edward. You're the mind reader. I read feelings. Your feelings are longing right now."

"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing the gas pedal a bit harder, urging us there faster. Jasper returned to his serenity with Alice. It wouldn't be very long until I was holding Bella in my arms once again.

We arrived at Charlie's house in a little under half an hour.

"Edward," Alice called to me as I sat there, shaking, "We'll take the car back to the house. You should go in by yourself. Take your time. We'll see you tonight."

"All right," I said, nodding curtly. I grabbed the door handle, pausing for a moment, "Thank you, Alice."

I was out in the rain for only a moment. I crawled up to the window, listening to the car drive off down the road. I was in her room a second later, my hair barely touched by the rain. I stared into the room, my eyes wide.

She hadn't been here. She hadn't been in this room in years.

I stumbled back to the window, my back pressed against the glass. My hand flew to my open mouth and my brow furrowed in concentration. Had Victoria gotten to Bella? Had Bella died? Why hadn't she come to this place in years? Did she ever come back after I had left? Where was she?

Thousands of questions continued to fly through my mind as I lowered myself out the window and back to the ground. Her scent was all over the town, so it was impossible that she had left or died. The warm, welcoming smell calmed many of the fears I had. So, I ran. I ran in search of her smell, following any trail I could find. I ran as fast as I could until I saw it.

Bella's truck.

I ran to it, my hand brushing along the hood. Still warm. She had been here only minutes ago. I followed her scent into the depths of the woods, angry at myself for leaving her. She would have never done anything so dangerous when I was here. I had told her the woods were a dangerous place. Why had she gone so deep?

"EDWARD!" I heard the sobbing scream and felt my dead heart twist in my chest. I dropped to the ground in response, my legs suddenly to heavy to move. It was Bella, screaming my name. Her screams were tortured, ripped apart by sobs. Hardly even coherent, to a normal listener. I could practically feel her pain radiating off of the woods, despite the fact that I didn't have Jasper's power.

"Edward, Edward, Edward!" her screams continued and my legs came alive. I was moving again, speeding in the direction of her screams and her scent. The scene I came upon tore me apart more than her screams had. I stumbled back against the tree behind me, my hands gripping the branches for stability. They cracked under the pressure of my hands.

Bella was laying on the ground, covered in rain and leaves. Her face was a tortured mask, bruised and cut. Despite her current state, she was still as lovely as I remembered her. She had hardly aged a day since I last saw her, it was obviously beneath the pain, cuts and bruises. She writhed on the ground in pure agony, sobbing my name again and again. One of my hands made its way to my chest, clutching at the place my heart used to beat. Clutching where the pain was now.

How could this have happened? She was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to move on and forget I ever existed. She was supposed to get married, have children, grow old... all the things I couldn't give her. She didn't move on. She was writhing in pain right before my eyes and it was all because of me. Because I had been stupid enough to leave her.

I stared at her, my mouth forming her name and my body somehow finding the strength to project my voice, "Bella?"

A pair of terrified eyes met mine.

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