The Tale of the Brokenhearted

Chapter 2: Blissful Midnight

Another week had passed, and still no sign of Bella. The longer she was gone, the more numb I became. The only time I felt anything at all, was on the runs I made with Leah; it seemed, now, that they were as much mine as they were hers. Nothing had really changed, I did as she had requested and kept my distance. A couple of times she'd looked in the direction of my car and smirked. At first, I thought it was because she pitied me, but then I realized she found comfort in having me around.

It was just about midnight; time for me to make a break for it. Usually this was easily done, because by this time of night my family was coupled up and separated, but tonight this was not the case. Everyone was sitting in the living room when I came down to make my escape. The scene might have appeared more normal if anyone had been talking, or at the very least, the television had been on, but they were all silent. I descended the last of the stairs, and edging around the room, scanned Alice's thoughts. I rolled my eyes; this was about me, and I wasn't about to have this conversation. I reached for the front doorknob and prepared to be stopped by Esme. Of course they would use Esme, she may not be my real mother, but our mother/son bond was genuine.

"Edward," halting me with her hand outstretched. "We need to talk, sweetheart." She said as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I don't want to talk about Bella," I hissed, turning around; they all stared at me.

"This isn't about Bella," Alice chimed in, rising and approaching Esme and me. "We're concerned about where you go to at night. You're future is becoming really unclear, and I want to know why." They all waited for me to answer.

"I don't know, Alice! Maybe you're losing your abilities or something." I murmured blandly.

"No, that's not it; I see everyone clearly except for you," she replied.

"Are you planning to leave us, Edward?" Esme blurted out, with hurt in her eyes. She hated when I left, and to be honest she and Carlisle were the main reason I stayed.

"No, Esme, I have no plans for leaving. I just need to escape at night and run away from my thoughts." I explained, only because I wanted Esme to stop looking that way.

"I told them to let you be. The only time your emotions resemble happiness is during the night." Jasper now joined his wife, who was frowning at me.

"So what are you doing that is making you so happy, Edward?" I thought about Leah, last night we'd gone to a poetry dive that I had really enjoyed. So much so, that I inched my way inside the building; the artists were really good. Leah had immediately noticed my presence and issued me an amused, yet kind expression. I had hoped to find, somewhere in her thoughts, that she would deem it okay for me to sit near her; however, I never got that invitation. "Edward?" Alice snapped her fingers a couple time redirecting my focus to her.

"I attend different little events to get my mind off your best friend," I said bluntly, and her eyes widened. I only said it for shock value; the hurt and sadness was merely a mild disappointment now. "You're about to make me late, so if you'll excuse me." I successfully made it out of my house and quickly bolted to my car. Now it was time to find Leah, I'd have to take in her scent and try to track her. Usually I would wait for her a couple miles from her house, but it was after midnight, I knew she'd already taken off into the night.

I only travelled about ten miles outside of Forks, when I saw Leah, sitting on the trunk of her car, on the side of the road. I pulled off the road to check on her. I got out and approached her cautiously because her thoughts were so loud. She was angry about her flat tire, but what mainly had her upset was everything that was going on at home. She was tired of everyone expecting her to just deal with everything, and fit in where she could. She didn't want to fit in there, at all anymore. I glanced in her backseat and saw her suitcases; tonight she'd planned to disappear forever, only to be stopped by technology.