Chapter 1

RPOV

I gave Hayley, my girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. She smiled up at me with those gorgeous green eyes. I brushed back her curly blonde hair.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. I need to visit my mom and baby sister. I haven't seen or heard from them in five years. I think it's time I pay them a visit," I said, as she weaved her fingers through my brown hair.

"Why does my final have to be tomorrow? Ugh, this is so frustrating! I want to go with you. I can't bare the thought of not seeing you for two weeks," she said.

"I know. But you need to stay here and graduate. I'll call you everyday, promise," I said to her. She smiled.

Just then, my best friend, Lee came up to us, pool stick in one hand and a beer in the other.

"Ew, get over yourselves, you two. Come on, Riles, come shoot some pool before you leave tomorrow," Lee said.

I glared at him. "Don't call me, 'Riles,'" I said. Only Bella was allowed to call me that.

Five years ago, I had the perfect life. I had a loving mother, and the best baby sister in the world. I talked to my dad regularly and me and Bella would visit him every summer. But all that went downhill as soon as my mother started dating a guy named, Mack.

When my parents, Charlie and Renee, were sixteen, they had me by mistake. Neither of them wanting to give me up for adoption, decided to move in together. My grandmother Swan, kept me while my parents finished high school.

When my parents graduated, they immediately married, thinking it was the right thing to do. I was two when they got married. Then, a year later, they had my baby sister, Bella. I was three when she was born.

We were the perfect family, living in the tiny town of Forks. My dad became chief of police and my mom stayed home with me and Bella.

When I was seven and Bella four, my mother left with us and headed to California, claiming she couldn't handle the small town life anymore. It tore my dad up, I could see it on his face as we drove away from him. Bella was too young to remember everything, but she does remember what Renee said and understood what was happening. She was always mature for her age.

We lived in California for a few months, before settling in Phoenix, Arizona. We lived there, perfectly happy. Me and Bella would visit Charlie in the summer and stay with Renee during the school year.

Mine and Bella's relationship can't be fully explained. We were always close, practically joined at the hip. Since we didn't see our father most of the time, I took it into my care to watch over Bella. Renee was a good mother, it's just that she is so hair-brained and is childlike herself.

I guess you could say I was like a father figure to Bella, even though I was her brother.

So, when Renee started dating, I was cool with it, understanding that she wanted someone to come home to and kiss everyday. Most of her boyfriends were nice, sometimes too nice.

Me and Bella would make fun of the ones that tried to win us over by buying us things. Some of them were just pushovers and would do anything we demanded, not wanting us to tell our mother that we hated them. Apparently, my mother was a very attractive woman. Excuse me while I shudder thinking about that.

So, when my mother brought home Mack, I was a little cautious towards him. I was sixteen at the time, Bella had just turned thirteen.

Mack seemed like a nice guy, at first that is. He had a steady job as a doctor. He made nice money and my mother seemed to like him a lot. He was always nice to Bella and I, not at all seeming like a pushover like the rest. So, I started warming up to him.

Soon, after him and Renee had been dating for six months, he moved in with us. That's when things started taking a turn for the worse.

It was maybe three weeks after Mack had moved in. Renee was out grocery shopping, Bella and I were upstairs singing while I played the guitar, and Mack was in the kitchen, doing some paperwork.

Bella had gone down for a drink, saying she was thirsty. I waited twenty minutes before she came back. I got a little worried, but she came through the door to my bedroom before I could get up.

She had tears in her eyes and her brown hair was shielding her face. She came and sat on the bed and kept her head down.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I had asked her.

She looked up at me then, and I could see it. Her left eye was swollen and turning black. I gasped, suddenly pissed off.

"What. Happened," I demanded, bawling my hands into fists. I think I had a good idea what happened and who did this.

"I-I hit myself w-with the refrigerator d-door," she lied. I could always tell when Bella was lying. She was such a bad liar.

"You're lying. Tell me the truth," I said.

"I can't. Mack told me not to tell anyone," she said, hiding her face.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I don't care what he said. Tell me what happened," I said, making her look at me.

She stayed quiet.

"Did Mack hit you, Bella?" I asked, my voice softening, trying to calm my sister.

She nodded her head, more tears falling. The story spilled out of her mouth then.

"I went to get something to drink and accidentally spilled the juice all over Mack's paperwork. I told him I was sorry and he punched me in my eye and made me clean it up. Then, he told me I had to tell you and Mom that I accidentally hit myself with the refrigerator door. He said if I told anyone, he would hurt you and Mom," she said.

I was furious. I was very protective of my little sister, and to hear someone, a grown man, punching her, a little thirteen year old, barely a teenager, made me outraged.

I breathed in and looked at my little sister.

"Don't worry, caterpillar. He's not going to hurt you, me, or Mom," I said, using the nickname only I'm allowed to use for her.

"Thanks, Riles," she said.

She hugged me then and I let her cry on my shirt. When she cried herself out and had fallen asleep, I laid her down and headed down the stairs.

There the bastard was, doing damn paperwork. He glanced at me, then looked back at his paperwork.

"What can I do for you, Riley?" he asked.

"You son of a bitch," I growled at him.

His head snapped up at me then.

"I suggest you watch your language, son," he said, glaring at me.

I lost it then and lunged for him. I brought my fist back and it connected to his nose, and there was a sickening crunch. And that's how Renee found us.

Me, punching Mack's face over and over. She dropped everything and pulled me off of him. I yelled and yelled at her about what happened with Bella.

The damn bastard denied everything, saying he saw her hit herself with the fridge door. And my mom believed him. Why? Because I've been known for lying. But you would think Renee would believe me on this.

Nope, she told me to go to my room and that I was grounded for a month.

I lost it then, and yelled at her that I was leaving. I went up to my room, and brought my suitcase out from under my bed. Bella, who had woken up when she heard me screaming had tears in her eyes.

"You're leaving," not a question, a statement.

I sighed and sat next to her, putting my arm around her shoulders.

"Listen, caterpillar. I need to go away for a little while. I might go visit Dad. But I need you to stay here with Mom. Make sure she takes care of herself. But I need you to promise me something," I said.

She nodded her head.

"Promise me, that if Mack hits you again, or does anything that makes you uncomfortable in anyway, go to the police the minute it happens. And call me, and I'll be on a plane within the hour on my way back to you," I said.

She nodded. "I promise," she whispered. She laid her head on my chest and cried.

When I left, I left her my necklace that had my initials on it, something I got from Dad for my fifth birthday. She gave me her necklace that had her initials on it, another present from Dad.

I went and lived with Charlie for a while, then moved in with my aunt and uncle in Seattle. I graduated high school three years ago, and I am now going to the University of Washington.

I still live with my aunt Joanna and uncle Ray. I met Hayley a year ago and we instantly hit it off. I still talk to my dad some, and I heard a week after the incident, Renee dumped Mack.

He told me she's now married to a guy named Phil, who's a baseball player and is living in Jacksonville, Florida.

He told me Bella was living with him, but I was too scared to even think about going down there. I haven't talked to her in five years, so she probably hates me now.

But I finally built up the courage to go see her. I'm twenty-one, almost twenty-two, and I'm in a dire need to go see my baby sister. I've missed her terribly. I've missed her important years, the time when boys no longer have cooties. I've missed her Sweet 16, and her eighteenth birthday. I would like to see her before she turns nineteen. So, I've arranged a surprised trip down to Forks, to see her graduate. Charlie knows I'm coming, but he's promised to keep it a secret. After I visit with Bella, I'm going to go to Florida and make amends with Renee.

"Actually, I should probably get going. I have to hit the road early tomorrow," I said, looking at my watch.

"Aw, come on, lover boy. One game," Lee said.

I sighed.

"Fine, fine. But one game!" I said, grabbing the pool stick from his hand.

Two wins, and a beer later, I was kissing Hayley bye. I'm hoping to propose to her when I get back from visiting my mom.

"I'll miss you," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I'll miss you, too, babe," I said, kissing her again.

"I love you!" she called after me as I walked out into the dark, rainy night.

"Love you, too, babe!" I said.

I adjusted my book bag strap on my shoulder and ducked my head out into the rain.

One minute, I was walking down the street, the next, I've been thrown into a glass door on a store. It didn't break, thankfully, but it did hurt.

I got up, looking around to see who just threw me into the door. I didn't see anyone. It was eerily quiet.

"Who's there?" I called out.

Nothing.

I started picking up my pace, almost running to get back to my aunt's and uncle's place.

This time, I was thrown into a brick wall, definitely leaving a bruise on my back. I got up, and broke out into a flat out sprint. I came to the pier, and had to make a choice. Jump, or let whoever the hell that was hurt me, or possible kill me.

Before I could make a decision, my hand was pulled at, and something sharp pierced it. I looked at it, to see a bite mark, and then felt it.

The fire. I screamed and fell to my knees. I fell onto my side and screamed out in pain as the fire consumed my body.