Lunar Eclipse, A Romance Split in Two

chapter one

Edward

Bella snuggled into me, warming my stone cold chest. In the past year her touch and her love was the only thing keeping me bound to this earth, but since Thursday everything had been different. an itch tickled in the back of my mind. It was guilt. This woman, no doubt the love of my life (or death I suppose) had risked everything to spend hers with me. Everything was perfect, until Thursday. It was just a normal hunting trip. I was alone in the woods facing a grizzly bear. one step a little too close to the La Push border and I was met with him. his eyes, they were indescribable. the emotion and lust they concealed as he stared at me, forgetting his intentions to kill, and I stared back. how was i supposed to know that it would get so far? I knew it would hurt her, but if i was without him, it would hurt me. Bella could see the hesitation in my face as I stroked her hair. "What's wrong? She whispered into my neck.

"Nothing." I lied.

"Well, I don't believe you." she stared at me for a second in silence. "We can talk about it tomorrow." She rolled over on her bed to face the wall.

"Goodnight Bella." and I slipped out the window.

I was running in the woods towards the meadow I had found there years ago. There he was, waiting for me, a smile spread across his face. I sat next to him, his face glowing in the moonlight. My hands met his face pulling his lips to mine. "Hello," he whispered in his silky soft voice. I pulled him closer, it was as if I could forget about life, in these brief moments he was in my arms.

"I'm sorry I took so long, I didn't want to hurt-"

"Her." he sighed.

"Yes." I admitted.

"I understand." he truly sounded like he did, but it was hard to not actually know. Jared was the second person I had met whose mind I couldn't read. Why was it always the people whose minds seem most interesting? "They're getting suspicious." He held me closer, his hot fingers seared my ice cold hand. His touch was painful, but the pain was addicting, it was the feeling of him, the feeling of love. It was like when Bella touched me but times one thousand. I knew in that moment that he was right, that somehow all of this would end well. He stared into my eyes and I stared into his, dark earthy brown. I pushed his shaggy black hair away from his face and leaned in closer, his warm mouth met mine again, and all my thoughts melted away. Nothing was left but the pure emotions I felt with him, I don't need anything else. He was there, In my arms, in the moonlight, what else could there be to want in life? " I think they know something's wrong." He whispered in my ear. His hand tightened around mine and he pulled away from my face. " they know that I've been avoiding turning since Thursday, I cant put it off much longer." he sighed into my chest and stroked his fingers through my hair. I nodded, he may have been risking more for me than I was for him, but we were both doing this for us. I kissed his knuckles as we watched the sunrise in silent understanding, there wasn't any time left, we had to leave each other forever or figure something out. I kissed him goodbye and we went our own separate ways.

Getting through the school day was agonizing without him. Bella didn't even want to talk to me. Was she mad at me or was she trying to give me space? Every time I lost my focus, I couldn't stop myself from daydreaming about him, daydreaming about his shaggy black hair, handsome chiseled jaw, and his warm lips pressed against mine. When the bell rang for the end of the day, I barely even noticed Bella climb into the passenger seat of my car.

"Hey, Wanna talk now? " she carefully asked.

"I- I don't want to do this Bella-" her face softened which confused me. Surely she saw what was going to happen, and she was fine with that?

"Neither do I, but it's what's best for us I guess." it was more light-hearted than the tears and screams I imagined.

"You're fine with this?" This was shocking to me, Bella didn't seem to phased.