Cerulean Star

Chapter 23: With So Much Love, Goodbye

This was the roughest weekend of goodbyes that I ever had to suffer through.

I was too tired on Friday to do anything so Eric agreed to wait on their plans to leave until Saturday. All throughout Friday, I was in and out of consciousness to know Charlie was worried that I was sleeping too much. If he only knew that in a few days, I'd no longer require sleep.

It wasn't until six o' clock Saturday morning when I opened my eyes for good. Charlie's snores were increasingly loud, but that wasn't what woke me.

"You know that's really creepy; the way you just sit there and watch me sleep." I asked to the shadowy mass that was in the corner of my room. I turned on the lamp on my table and Edward stepped into the light and sat on the edge of my bed.

"I'm sorry. How did you know I was here? I just got here and I was extremely silent." His lips curled into a one sided smile.

I was taken aback by his question and the first answer that popped into my head seemed to startle me more than even that.

"I think my body is just so attuned to you, I just know when you're near." I said in a light whisper. There was no point in raising it any higher for him to hear me. Vampire hearing came in handy.

"Well to me I would take that as a sign that we belong together. Why should I let you leave me when even our bodies respond in such a way?" I sighed as Edward began very convincingly.

"Edward, this isn't about what we want. There are responsibilities that you have no idea about that only I can handle once in Italy. It's bad enough that Aro has lost his guard dogs. What exactly do you think will happen when he finds out about that? Or if I refused to go to Italy. He has plans for me that are bigger than you or your family even."

"We could hide." The look on his face was extremely tortured, and I had to look away for a moment.

"That wouldn't work Edward and you know that. Demetri has had a taste of you and your family and he. Will. Find. You. And if I'm with you, Aro will have reason to kill every single one of you.

"So just like that, you're turning yourself over to Aro? Regardless of what you mean to me, what we mean to each other."

I lifted myself from underneath my blanket and knelt over to him. I placed a kiss just below his ear before returning to my pillow.

"Yes." I said coldly. I restrained myself from saying it was the only way because I'd come to realize that those little words showed that there was something that I was planning. I figured if I realized something like that, surely a vampire would have as well.

"Edward. Please. For Esme's sake don't do anything stupid. Promise me that you won't leave when I leave. Your family will need you to be strong."

"Whatever." I sighed as the moody vampire stood and hovered over my bed. "Will you be by later then to say goodbye to my family?" His eyes looked to really be asking if I was coming by to say goodbye to him. The tears welled up in my eyes and as distrusting of my voice, I could only manage to nod my head. All it took was for me to blink to barely see Edward jumping out of my window.

It was still a little after six, and there was no way I was going to fall back asleep; especially since I'd slept most of Friday away. I hopped into the shower so that I could start my day before Charlie asked any questions about my plans. He was dreading my return back to Italy more than the Cullen's were. But at least I had a few allies within the Cullen family that understood what needed to be done.

Today was my day to spend with Eric and his pack since they would be leaving late afternoon. I promised Charlie that I would go fishing with him and Billy tomorrow. I thought back to the last fishing trip I was on and it seemed like ages ago. Thinking back to that day, couldn't stop me from remembering everything that I had been through once I arrived in Forks. Meeting my dad for the first time, the Cullen's, the Black's and the wolves. Every single person that I'd met had become a part of me that couldn't very well be erased. Even Angela, Ben, Mike, Eric, and Jessica, had meant something to me.