"Laurent!" I cried in surprised pleasure.

It was an irrational response. I probably should have stopped at fear.

"Bella?" he asked, looking more astonished than I felt.

"You remember." I smiled. It was ridiculous that I should be so elated because a vampire knew my name.

He grinned. "I didn't expect to see you here." He strolled toward me, his expression bemused.

"Isn't it the other way around? I do live here. I thought you'd gone to Alaska."

"You're right," he agreed. "I did go to Alaska. Still, I didn't expect… When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they'd moved on."

"Oh." I bit my lip as the name set the raw edges of my wound throbbing. It took me a second to compose myself. Laurent waited with curious eyes.

"They did move on," I finally managed to tell him.

"Hmm," he murmured. "I'm surprised they left you behind. Weren't you sort of a pet of theirs?" His eyes were innocent of any intended offense.

I smiled wryly. "Something like that."

"Do they visit often?" he asked, still casual, but his weight shifted toward me.

"Lie", Edwards voice told me.

"Now and again." I tried to make my voice light, relaxed. "The time seems longer to me, I imagine. You know how they get distracted…" I was beginning to babble. I had to work to shut myself up.

"Hmm," he said again. "The house smelled like it had been vacant for a while…"

"You must lie better than that, Bella," the voice urged.

"So how are things Working out in Denali? Carlisle said you were staying with Tanya?" My voice was too high.

The question made him pause. "I like Tanya very much," he mused. "And her sister Irina even more… I've never stayed in one place for so long before, and I enjoy the advantages, the novelty of it. But, the restrictions are difficult… I'm surprised that any of them can keep it up for long." He smiled at me conspiratorially. "Sometimes I cheat."

I couldn't swallow. My foot started to ease back, but I froze when his red eyes flickered down to catch the movement.

"Oh," I said in a faint voice. "Jasper has problems with that, too."

"Oh, really." Laurent smiled.

I nodded and tried something else. "I'll have to mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He'll be sorry they missed your visit."

"Bella, has anyone told you that you a vary bad at lying? It doesn't matter... Victoria sent me to confirm that the Cullen's were gone and that they left their pet behind. But she won't be happy about this." He said.

"About what?" I said eagerly, inviting him to continue. He was glaring into the trees, away from me. I took advantage of his diversion, taking a furtive step back.

He looked back at me and smiled—the expression made him look like a black-haired angel.

"About me killing you," he answered in a seductive purr. Then he leaped for me. My body was frozen i shock and i felt the very moment that Laurent's teeth pressed into my veins. I struggled, trying helplessly, to free myself from his vice like grip but i couldn't and with every second that passed i grew weaker and weaker. In the end i felt the dull burning slowly turn to ice and i fell into the darkness of death.

EPOV

Two days later

Bella was dead...

It had been two say since i had gotten that fateful call. Alice had rung me and for some unknown reason i knew i had to answer it. She told me about her vision and how she called Charlie to confirm that Bella was completely and utterly dead.

I couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible. She had some much life ahead of her, there was so many possibilities for her, but now she was dead. I couldn't bring myself to believe that simple yet painful fact because, i knew that if i did, it would me that i had killed her. If i hadn't left she would still be alive. She would be health and happy... with me.

There were so many 'what if's' running through my mind. There was so many things i wish i could have redone but i couldn't. Bella died thinking that i hated her, that i used her and worst of all Bella died thinking that i didn't love her. And i just realized that it is so much darker in the world when a light goes out than it would if it hadn't ever shone in the first place.

I feel so lost. Where she used to be there is a whole in the world, which i find myself constantly walking around as if she were still there. But she isn't... She gone.

It was raining hard on the day of Bella's funeral and because of that the casket was closed. The sky was dark and grey and grief hung in the air like a thick, wool blanket, draped over all of us. There were no smiles from the remembrance of her, stories which we remembered about the good times we'd had. Only sorrow over the loss of this wonderful soul. It felt as if time itself was standing still; that this was just a horrible nightmare, and I was trying to escape. Desperately trying to come out of this darkness that was my new life. A new life without my love, my Bella.

Charlie and Renee stood crying beside the coffin of their dead daughter. Parents were never suppose to outlive their children and it was my fault that Charlie and Renee have. Me and my family stood in the back, silently mourning the loss of their beloved family member. We could not tear even if we had plenty of tears that needed to be shed.

When it ended, i don't remember. I don't remember the cold, getting into the car, nor the drive back home. The image of her coffin being lowered into the cold, hard earth replayed itself over and over again in my mind. I couldn't believe it. She was gone. Forever gone.