Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of the characters (I do own the books though!)
This story takes place about two months after New Moon, shortly after Bella's graduation from high school (I'm sorry if the timeline isn't exactly right, I worked it out as best as I could). I'm planning on switching back and forth between Bella's p.o.v. and Edward's p.o.v. (Edward is quite difficult to write...). I love feedback! Feedback, feedback! I'm also looking for anyone who would be interested in being a beta reader, just to catch things I don't or spot things that don't make sense.
Enjoy! ( and comment!!!!!!!)
I tried not to think how Edward was going to feel when I didn't show up today. I hoped he wasn't going to fret too much. Yeah right. That was like asking a bird to cut off its wings. I sighed in frustration. There was just no other way! I couldn't endanger those I love like that.
And Charlie. He was going to be worried sick, my constant disappearing was surely not good for his nerves. He was going to be so furious, Edward too now that I thought of it; it had only been about two months since my last disappearance when I left to rescue Edward from Italy…I shrugged the memory from my mind. It had been too soon since I had my Edward returned to me. Too soon since the hole in my chest had mended by his soft presence. And now I was the one leaving.
I was fairly certain they couldn't find me. Edward couldn't read my thoughts to understand what I was doing. In the past two months my shield, I wasn't quite sure what to call it, from Vampire powers had grown stronger. At first it had just been that Jasper's mood altering powers ceased to calm me when I was frazzled. Then Alice was having problems seeing into my future. The images had begun to get blurry and harder to find, until they vanished completely. We only discovered this when I asked her to discover if I was going to pass my calculus final. In some ways I was relieved, for it was a misinterpreted vision that had caused Edward to ask for death in the first place.
I had left in the early morning. The clock on my truck exhaustedly shown 2:36 a.m. Edward was out hunting with Jasper. I was supposed to meet him when I was done with work at 1:00, that is if he didn't show up to 'help' me, much to Mike's disapproval. Strategically, I had parked my truck two blocks away from my house so I wouldn't wake Charlie up when it thundered to life. I couldn't have him stopping me now.
Victoria. I shuddered as I thought her name. I was leaving because of her. The shock still almost stops my heart when I remember walking in my room and finding her waiting, ever so patiently, on my bed. I remember her looking shocked as well, like she wasn't expecting my gaze to be locked on her.
"So, what they're saying is true," she mused. I had been too frightened to say anything.
"Oh yes, I know your immunities to our powers. After your little stop in Italy most of us know about you." I remember her light, beautiful laugh as she comprehended my face. I honestly thought my time was up. I was dead. Desperately I wished Edward hadn't left to go hunting. We had previously believed the threat from Victoria was minimal, at least for a while. No one had caught a whiff of her in almost two months.
She had motioned to something behind, obviously wanting me to look at it. I couldn't move.
"Don't worry," her voice chimed. "I won't hurt you." Yeah, and I can fly. Not believing her in the slightest, but not wanting to anger her, I turned my head. Behind me was my mirror, propped high on my dresser. At first I wasn't sure what I was supposed to see. Then I noticed my bed in the reflection. There was nothing on it. My head snapped back around, Victoria was still in the same position she had been when I entered. I was puzzled. I know the myth about Vampires having no reflection was exactly that, a myth.
"How…" my voice squeaked. It has an embarrassing habit to do that when I'm scared. My whole body was shaking.
"You ought to know by now that we Vampires can have special abilities. I'm sure your little brain can guess mine." My mind spun. I had a guess, but that would be too horrible to be true. However, it would explain he surprised expression when I saw her in my room.
"You're invisible," my voice was barely a whisper. I had long stopped not believing the impossible. It's actually pretty impressive how easily I accept things I would formally have though fantasy.
"You're quick," a sadistic smile transformed her face. The rest of the conversation was pretty one-sided on Victoria's part, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I do, however, remember everything she said. She had been spying on the Cullen's house for quite a while; years of strictly controlling her thoughts had made it difficult for Edward to notice she was nearby. She knew when our guard was down, when no one would be there to protect me.
Then she made me an offer. And offer I couldn't refuse. Victoria was not stupid. She knew if she killed me, then Edward would get himself killed. That wasn't good enough for her. I recognized the same pain in her eyes that I had felt in my own when Edward left. She loved James and Edward had killed him. Love for love. She wanted Edward to suffer for his actions. Cruel as it was, I would rather have Edward alive and suffering than…I gulped hard…dead. That's why I agreed to her plan. I snapped myself out of my thoughts. Reminiscing would do no good. I tried not to think of Edward, of what I was going to do to him. If I didn't do this, Victoria would just settle with killing him. Her power of invisibility would be an unfair advantage. Edward wouldn't know and I would be helpless to stop her. She would kill me rather than me getting in the way. So instead I agreed to let her use me.