After Edward

Chapter 1

"Please?"
"No."
"Please?" I begged.
"No, Bella. You know my condition." He reminded me with a smug smile on his face.
"Ugh. Please don't remind me." I gagged and he laughed.
"If you don't marry me, I won't be the one to change you. You know you said yes already anyway, so there's no going back now." He turned his gaze fully onto me and breathed into my face, making me forget what we were talking about.
"You're doing it again." I whined.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"Dazzling me." I replied, while leaning in.
He kissed me softly, and like always, I lost control. I pressed myself closer to him and heard him sigh. He pushed me away gently.
"Bella, what am I going to do with you?" he asked.
"You can bite me." I giggled.
He suddenly stood up and kissed the tip of my nose.
"I'll come pick you up at seven." He whispered, and then he was gone.
A few minutes later, I heard Charlie's car door slam.
"Hey Jake." I heard him say.
I sighed and went outside to greet them.
"Hey Charlie." I went to Jacob and gave him a hug.
He immediately picked me up in a giant bear hug.
"Jake can't breathe." I gasped, and heard Charlie laugh as he slammed the front door.
"Oh, right. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.
"And by the way, you reek." He whispered and wrinkled his nose.
I rolled my eyes.
"So, how do you feel about a bonfire in La Push this Friday?" He asked.
"Sure, sounds great. So, what's up?" I asked.
"Same old. Paul losing his temper in an argument. Again."
I laughed at his irritated expression.
"Oh, before I forget, Charlie can come too. Most of the grownups are coming. Well, got to go. See you, Bells." He said.
"Bye Jake." I said as he ran into the forest.
I slowly walked upstairs to take a shower. I scrubbed myself until I was red.
'Edward better not tell me I stink.' I thought to myself.
I pulled on my jeans and a blue sweater.
"Ugh." I mumbled.
My hair was useless again. I pulled it into a ponytail and ran down the stairs. I tripped on the last one.
"Ouch, dammit." I exclaimed.
"What now?" Charlie asked.
"I fell." I replied and he laughed.
"Are you going somewhere?" He asked.
"Yes, Edward is picking me up in a few minutes."
I heard the doorbell ring, and ran to the door.
"Bye, Dad." I called as I opened the door.
"Hey." He said softly and kissed the palm of my hand.
I shivered and smiled at him as I closed the front door behind me.
"Whoa!" I said as I saw the big red jeep.
"Where are we going?" I asked as he helped me in.
"To the beach in Port Angeles. The rest are waiting there." He replied when he got in the car.
"Oh, that sounds nice. What are we going to do there?" I asked, but before he could reply, I screamed as two dark figures jumped on the car on either side, and punched out the back windows.
"Shit!" Edward yelled.
I screamed again as a cold hand closed over my mouth. I heard Edward punch buttons on his cell phone.
"Carlisle, we need help. Quick." He said and pulled over.
"Right. Get your hands off her. Now." He threatened.
I heard one of them chuckle.
"You're not really in the position to threaten us."
"What do you want, Felix?" Edward growled.
"Unfortunately, something you don't own." Felix drawled, and caressed my cheek.
Edward snapped his teeth together.
"I wouldn't do anything if I were you. Your girlfriend's life is at stake." Dimitri growled.
"Now, call Carlisle and tell him everything is under control, they don't need to come, but you're taking the girl home because she has a headache, or something. Do it now, or Felix will break her pretty little neck." Dimitri threatened, and I gasped.
"Carlisle? Everything is under control."
Edward was silent as Carlisle said something.
"Yes, of course I'm sure. But we're not coming anymore. Bella isn't feeling well."
He was silent again.
"No, nothing happened. She only has a headache. Bye."
He snapped the phone shut.
"Good, now start the car and go to the forest in Forks." Dimitri ordered.
Felix leaned over the front seat to unbuckle me, and he laughed softly when we heard Edward snap his teeth together. He lifted me up and pulled me onto the backseat. Dimitri climbed over and went to sit on the front passenger seat.
"Behave yourself, Felix." Dimitri growled.
Edward started the car, and Felix leaned in to kiss me.
"Get off me, asshole." I said and turned my head other way.
Felix snapped my head back to him, and slapped my face.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that again." He growled furiously, and I gasped in pain.
"Don't you dare lift your hand at her!" Edward shouted.
"I wonder if she'll taste as good as she looks." Felix drawled suggestively.
Edward growled and stomped on the brakes. When I looked around, I saw we were in La Push's forest.
"Get out. Felix, take the girl." Dimitri ordered.
Felix grabbed my arm and yanked me out. I almost fell, but he catched me and started laughing.
"Shut up. Let's go deeper." Dimitri said.
Just as we crossed the border, I heard the wolves howling.
"What the-?" Felix roared as a giant wolf leaped from behind the trees and hit him with a force that sent them flying a few metres away.
"Stop it!" Edward yelled, just as Felix got out from under the wolf, and he and Dimitri took off.
I saw the wolves morph back into their human forms.
"They were on our land!" Sam said angrily.
"I know. But it's between my family and them. If you killed them, the Volturi will pay Forks a visit, and I won't be surprised if they kill everyone. I saw these two's minds just now. They're not coming back. Ever." Edward reassured Sam and the rest of the pack.
"I guess you will know that better than us." Sam agreed, and they morphed back and ran off.
"Are you all right?" Edward asked worriedly.
I laughed nervously.
"I think so." I said and flinched as I gingerly touched my cheek.
I was sure it was going to be blue tomorrow. Edward saw me touch the place Felix had hit me.
"I almost killed him when he hit you." He growled angrily.
"I'd better take you home." He said as he picked me up, and carried me to the car.
"I'll come pick you up tomorrow night. I won't be able to visit you tomorrow, I have some things to do."
"It's okay. I have to pack for college anyway." I said.
I must have fallen asleep, because I felt him shake me.
"Bella, wake up. You're home." He whispered.
"Ugh." I grumbled, and climbed up the front steps.
"I'll see you upstairs, okay?" I whispered, and slipped in the door.
I could hear Charlie snoring.
"Dad, wake up, I'm home."
I shook him and he grunted. I helped him upstairs, where he fell onto his bed and went on sleeping.
"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Edward asked.
"Yes." I sighed tiredly.
I climbed in bed, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. When I woke up, Edward was already gone. I threw out all my clothes and started washing them. I thought about tonight. Edward had said it was a special occasion, but I had no idea what. I heard the phone ring.
"Hello?" I answered and looked at the clock.
It was still a few hours before Edward came to pick me up.
"Hey Bella. It's Jake."
"Oh, hey Jacob." I said.
"I just wanted to know if tomorrow night is still on." He asked.
"Sure, sure. Listen, I'm really busy at the moment, I'll talk to you later."
"Oh okay. Bye then." He said.
"Bye." I said and hung up.
I started packing, and finished a while later. The doorbell rang just as I finished trying to do my hair.
"Coming!" I yelled.
I quickly wrote a letter to Charlie, telling him where I was.
"Hey." I started saying, but my breath caught in my throat.
Edward looked incredible in a tux. He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand.
"You look beautiful." He whispered, and I snorted.
"So, what's happening tonight?" I asked glumly. I hated surprises.
"You'll see when we get there." He replied secretively, as he started the car.
I realized we were going to Seattle, and gasped when we stopped in front of the most posh and most expensive restaurant.
"Okay, what's going on?" I demanded.
"Be quiet, Bella. And be patient." He ordered.
He helped me out of the car, and entwined our fingers.
"Breath Bella." He had to remind me, and my breath whooshed out.
I laughed nervously when I saw the rest of the Cullen's at a table.
"Hey." Emmett's voice boomed and everyone turned to stare.
"Maybe you should lower your voice." Rosalie suggested sarcastically, and rolled her eyes.
"Hey." I greeted everyone, and sat down.
Edward sat down next to me and Carlisle called the waiter.
"A bottle of champagne, please." Carlisle ordered, and winked.
"Are we celebrating something?" I asked confused.
The waiter brought the champagne and put the glasses in front of Edward.
"So, how is the packing going Bella?" Alice asked me.
She was sitting on my other side. I turned my head towards her, and sighed.
"It's almost finished. Just the toiletries and stuff." I answered.
Edward cleared his throat as he passed the glasses around.
"May I propose a toast? To Bella, the love and light of my life." He said, lifting his glass and taking a sip.
I took a sip, and felt something solid go into my mouth. I started choking and coughing.
"Oh my gosh, she's choking. Edward slap her on her back." Esmè shouted.
He clapped me and it fell in my hand, and I gasped when I saw what it was. A beautiful gold ring with, a topaz stone embedded in the middle and tiny diamonds around it.
"Edward, it's beautiful." I gushed.
He took it from me and put it on its rightful place.
"Now everyone will know that you're mine." He said firmly, and I noticed the double meaning of his words.
I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you." I whispered.
"It's official now, and I already asked your father's permission." He said smugly.
The next morning I was awake before Charlie, and I decided to cook him breakfast. A while later, he stomped down the stairs.
"Mmmm, smells good, Bells." He said cheerfully.
"Thanks." I said as I put a plate of steaming omelets in front of him.
"So, dad. You probably already know, seeing as Edward has asked your permission, but I'm telling you myself anyway. Edward and I are getting married." I said quickly.
"Yep. I know. When's the wedding?" Charlie asked.
"We thought we'll have it in our first break. That way Alice can have enough time to plan it." I replied.
"Okay. Well, I better get going. Thanks for breakfast." He said as he stood up, got his gun, and drove away.
I started collecting the dishes and put it into the basin, and washed it. I decided to clean the house, and by noon I was finished. I went to finish packing, and kept out an outfit for tomorrow.
"Hey Jake." I greeted as he gave me a hug.
"Hey yourself." He laughed as he took my left hand, and started walking.
He stopped abruptly and held up the hand he had been holding. I had turned the ring around so the stone faced toward my palm. He twisted it back, and took a shuddering breath as he tried to calm himself.
"What is this?" He asked coldly.
"It's my engagement ring. Edward and I are getting married." I said softly.
I could feel him shaking with anger, and I started getting angry too.
"When did this happen?" He asked loudly.
"Oh, come on Jacob. You knew about this. You heard us talking in the tent." I said equally loud.
"When are you getting...married?" He choked out.
"In three months." I said.
"Three months?" He shouted.
"Don't act as if you didn't expect it. You knew it would happen sometime!" I shouted back.
"Yeah, but not so soon! I can't believe you're so stupid! You're throwing your whole life away for a bunch of reeking bloodsuckers!" He shouted again.
"I don't care! I love him, and we're getting MARRIED!" I shouted as loud as I could.
"I HATE you. I hope he kills you when they try to change you." He whispered harshly into my face.
I gasped, and staggered back. He turned and ran off, morphing as he went. I crumpled to the ground and started crying. I felt warm arms pick me up and carrying me. Then suddenly a voice as cold and hard as rock spoke.
"What the hell is going on?" Edward demanded and rushed towards me as Sam put me back on the ground.
"They had a fight." Was all he said, and he walked away.
"I'm taking you home right away." Edward said softly, and I nodded.
When we got home, I staggered up the stairs, Edward behind me. Charlie was still at Billy's, watching the football game. I got into bed, without bothering to undress. Edward came and lied beside me, turning me around so I was facing him. I started sobbing, and hated myself when I saw the pain flit across his face.
"I'm so sorry, Bella." He whispered, and hugged me tightly.
I pulled away to look into his eyes.
"It's not your fault." I tried to say firmly, but I was sobbing to hard and gave up.
I cried until I eventually fell asleep.
' "Jake? Is that you?" I called, confused as the figure started running away at the sound of my voice.
I started running after him.
"Jake, don't leave me!" I pleaded, and started crying.
I was falling down a lot, and I soon lost sight of him.
"Jacob, please. Don't leave me, I love you!" I called out, as I got more and more lost.
I couldn't remember what I've been searching for anymore all I saw was green.
Suddenly James and Victoria lunged at me from both sides. I screamed and heard Jacob laughing.'
I woke up panting and drenched in sweat. I saw Edward sitting in the rocking chair, his face crumpled in pain. My heart ached with love for him. I stood up, and saw his face turn into a calm mask. He opened his arms, and I went to sit on his lap. I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and he looked questioningly at me.
"Uhm, I think...maybe, we should cancel the wedding, and then reschedule it? If you think it will be better." I mumbled uncertainly.
"Yes, if is what you want." He answered coldly, and I cringed.
'Had I done more damage to our relationship?' I thought, suddenly scared.
I couldn't lose him. Not again.
"It's just...I want...I don't want to marry when I'm like this."
"I understand perfectly. Are you ready to go to the airport?" He asked aloofly.
"I just want to take a quick shower." I said softly, trying not to choke on my tears.
I stood up quickly and took a shower. After I was dressed, I wrote a note to Charlie, explaining that we had gone to the college, and that I had put food in the freezer. I heard Edward honk, and I sighed unhappily.
For three months, he was aloof and distant, while I changed and I cried more as everyday passed. But this time it was because of the pain I had caused Edward. When I woke up one morning, the flat we were renting was as quiet as death. I turned my head to Edward's side of the bed, and saw a note on the pillow.
"Bella,
I am sorry, but our relationship is not working out.That is why I had decided to leave.It is better this way, for BOTH of us.
I am truly sorry.
Be safe,
Edward."
I crumpled the letter as I gasped in pain. I stood up, but my knees buckled as blackness clouded my mind.
I woke up a few hours later, and went to take a shower. I decided, that if I had survived the first time, I would definitely survive this time, even if I didn't have my own personal sun. I decided to call Charlie.
"Hey dad, it's me." I said.
I sighed with relief when I heard my voice sounded normal.
"Hey honey. What made you call?" He asked, a bit confused.
"I just wanted to tell you...the wedding is off. It's over between us, dad." I said.
"Are you all right?' Charlie asked, and I could hear the fear in his voice.
I could tell he was remembering the way I had looked and been the first time Edward had left me.
"Yes, I'm fine. Is it okay if I don't come home for the break? I need to be alone for a while." I asked.
"Of course. Just be careful. Love you." He said.
"I will, you too. And I love you too, dad." I said, and hung up.
I felt determined. I was going to rid myself of memory's of Edward Cullen, and I was never going to shed another tear for him as long as I lived. I got an empty box, and started throwing everything he gave me, into it. From now on, it was just I; Bella Swan, and I were going on alone. '
It will be as if I had never existed.' I thought about the words he said a long time ago...