Beta(s): TayJay and Jusobele

Preface- Bella's Pov

Edward left me alone in the woods nine months ago. For the first few months I was a zombie. I couldn't eat. My stomach ached with emptiness. I couldn't sleep without screaming nightmares. My body became weak from exhaustion.

Charlie fed me as if I was a baby, literally forcing me to eat. He would come to me in the middle of the night and soothe me back to sleep.

I thought the pain from Edward's loss would kill me. I might have stayed in that state if it had not been for my dad. Charlie and I had never been good at expressing our feelings, or talking about emotions. But his quiet strength pulled me out of the hole I found myself in. No matter how many times I woke screaming, he came to me, never giving up. My dad could not keep Edward from breaking my heart, but he would not let Edward break me.

I had allowed myself to become so entangled with the Cullen's that when they left me, I didn't know how to think for myself. I blindly let Alice and Edward create 'the me' they thought I should be. Gone was the girl who raised her mother and took care of her father, and in her shadow was someone who was completely dependent on others for her happiness.

I had abandoned my friends in favor of the brothers and sisters I thought I would gain. I grew distant from my own parents as I attached myself to Edward's. When I finally came back to reality I looked around and could not believe the person I had become.

So there I was, nine long months later, a new high school graduate. A little worse for wear but alive, with a new perspective on what it meant to live. I romanticized Romeo and Juliet and believed myself to be living the real life version. Only now could I see Shakespeare's words as a tragedy and not a love story. Unlike the ill-fated Juliet I did not die in the end. I got a second act.

Story Information

Victoria, James and Laurent all took place, as well as Edward leaving after Bella's 18th birthday. Laurent was killed in the meadow, however Victoria was with him and also killed. They never got close enough for Bella to see them or the wolves.

Bella did not lean on Jake to heal her after Edward left, Charlie put her back together. Bella and Jake have not seen each other since he told her the 'stories' walking on the beach, therefore she does not know about the pack.

Character ages:

Sam, Emily, Paul, Leah- 19

Bella, Kim, Jared- 18

Jacob, Embry, Quil, Brady-17

Seth-15.5

The Character of Seth Clearwater

I never understood the casting of Boo-Boo Stewart to play Seth. He's adorable yes, but phasing was supposed to age the boys making them look years older than their actual age, growing to look like grown men in a matter of weeks, and days.

Boo Boo does not look like a man. So I've rectified what I think was a mistake….. Boo-Boo fans I mean no disrespect. This is what I see a young Seth looking like. http:/s1094(.)photobucket(.)com/albums/i458/Iamtwilightobsessed/

CH.1 Eye Candy

"Bells, Billy invited us down for a bonfire. You want to go?" Charlie asked me as we left The Lodge.

"Yeah, sure."

It would be nice to see Jake. I hadn't seen him since he told me the stories on the beach. He said they were just scary stories. I wonder what he would think if he knew they were real.

We pulled up to the Black's, the little red house reminding me when Jake and I used to make mud pies in the back yard.

"Hey Charlie, Bella," Billy greeted us.

"Hi Billy," I smiled

"Come on in, Jake will be out in a minute," Billy told me.

I sat on the couch beside Charlie, listening as he and Billy talked about their upcoming fishing trip. Those two were always fishing, or planning to go fishing.

"Hey Bells," Jake called, walking into the room.

"Jake?" I asked.

This was not the same scrawny Jake I remembered. This Jake was huge, and muscled.

"Yeah, Bells," he said with a smirk.

"Uh… you know steroids are bad for you," I told him.

"No steroids, just filling out. You'd know that if you ever came down here."

"Touché."

"Come on, let's leave the old men to their fishing stories." He gestured to me to follow him outside.

"So what have you been up to?" I asked him, as we walked outside, headed to First Beach.

"Not much, almost finished with the Rabbit," he said proudly.

"Cool."

"You?"

"Not much, just finishing school."

We had just made it to the beach; there were a ton of people around the fire. I was a little nervous about not knowing anyone. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends," Jake offered, pulling me along.

"Bells, this is Sam, his fiancée Emily, Jared and his girlfriend Kim, Quil, Embry, Paul, Leah and Seth." Jake introduced me to everyone.

It was hard not to drool. Each guy was better looking than the last, but when Jake introduced the last guy Seth, my breath caught in my lungs. He was the best-looking man I had ever seen. He was tall, his skin was a beautiful russet color, his eyes were so dark they looked black, and he had short black hair. I knew I was staring but I couldn't help myself.

"I'm going to get something to drink. You want to come with me, Bella?" The girl standing next to Seth asked me, breaking me out of my staring contest.

"Oh yeah, that sounds good."

I followed Leah, at least I thought that was her name, over to a cooler. We then found a seat on one of the logs. "So Bella, how old are you?" Leah asked me.

"18, I'll be 19 in September. You?" I asked.

"I'm 19. Are you still in school?" Leah wanted to know.

"No, I graduated today in Forks. You?" I asked. I was trying to pay attention, but my mind and my eyes were wandering over to Seth.

"I graduated today too," she told me. "We actually met when we were really young. I'm Harry's daughter."

"Oh, wow I'm sorry, I don't remember too much from when I lived here," I told her. "It's nice to meet you ... again." I smiled at her.

"Yeah, you too." The other two girls slowly made their way over to us.

"Hey Bella, I'm Kim."

"And I'm Emily." They both reintroduced themselves to me.

"Hi."

"So Bella, what do you like to do for fun?" Kim asked me.

"Not much lately, I like to cook. I guess I need to find a new hobby." I laughed, embarrassed.

I hate talking about myself, especially knowing how boring I sound when I have to admit I haven't done anything this year except crawl back into reality.

"You should go shopping with us sometime," Kim said excitedly.

"Oh, I'm not much of a shopper." I cringed at the thought of crowded malls.

"Really? You don't like to shop?" Kim seemed completely shocked by my declaration.

"No, sorry," I told her.

Jared and Sam walked over and pulled Kim and Emily over to where the music was playing. They started dancing. They looked so happy, I thought, watching as the two couples swayed to the music.

"You really don't like shopping?" Leah asked me.

"No, I hate it. Crowded malls, pushy sales people. I like jeans and I know my size, but all the stores and trying on of crap I'll never wear makes me crazy," I told her honestly.

"You know what Bella? I think we're going to get along just fine," Leah told me, smiling.

"Not a shopper either, eh?" I asked, raising my brow.

"No, I'm not good with girly shit." Leah grinned, shaking her head.

"Me either, I'm too clumsy for heels and curling irons freak me out. Not to mention I've yet to work one without needing a trip to the ER."

I couldn't help it. My eyes kept scanning for Seth. He was just so good looking.

"So you think my brothers hot, huh?" Leah arched her brow, catching me looking at Seth.

"Huh w-w... What?"

"Seth, he's my brother."

"Oh, sorry," I told her.

"Don't be, he checked you out too," she smirked. I knew I was blushing, I could feel my face get hot.

"So are you going to college?" Leah asked me.

"Not right away. I have no idea what I want to do," I confessed.

"Me either, maybe I'll take some online courses or something," she told me.

I was talking to Leah, having a good time, when Seth and another huge boy whose name I couldn't remember walked up.

"Leah, dance with me?" he asked her.

"Sure, but if you don't keep your hands to yourself, I'll tear your arms off and beat you with them Quil," Leah threatened, making me laugh. I watched as the two of them walked over and started dancing where Kim and Emily were with Sam and Jared.

"Dance with me?" Russet god Seth asked me.

"Sure, but I should warn you that I have two left feet and they're both wearing right shoes," I blushed.

"I'll live, if not you can be my nurse." Seth smiled, showing me his dimples. His freaking smile should be illegal.

Good God! If I don't fall over my own feet, I am going to trip over my tongue.

Seth held his hand out for me to take. The moment my hand was in his, it felt like an electric current ran through my arm. I followed him over to where Leah, Quil, and a few others were dancing together. Seth wrapped his hands around my waist as I put my arms around his neck; we were pretty far apart, but I could feel the heat coming off him.

His scent was wafting over me, making my head all cloudy. He smelled like mint, and citrus. He smelled delicious. I had never been so attracted to anyone before, not even Edward. It was freaking me out.

"So you're Charlie's daughter?" he asked.

His voice was so deep; it made the butterflies in my stomach start flying. "Yep."

"A bunch of us are going to the beach tomorrow, you should come," Seth told me, looking at me with those dark eyes.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Definitely."

"Okay, sure why not."

The song ended and a new faster song started up, but we were still in our slow dance position.

"I managed to not kill you with the slow song, but we better not chance it with something that has a beat," I told him. He pulled his hands from my waist. I almost wanted to protest at the loss of contact, but that would surely make him think I was crazy.

Seth grabbed my hand and walked me back to the log where Leah was already sitting with Kim and Emily. I sat back down beside the girls, trying not to follow Seth with my eyes.

"See you tomorrow," Seth said, walking over towards the boys.

"Tomorrow, huh?" Leah asked.

"Uh yeah, he said a bunch of you were going to the beach and I should come," I told her. "But if it's too weird, ya know him being your brother and all, I don't have to go."

"No, it's good. Seth is shy so if he asked you to go he must like you. Besides, I'm thrilled he likes you and not some bubble gum popping bleached blonde." Leah laughed.

"Nope, just a two left footed Swan," I told her.

"Hey Bells." Charlie called.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"You ready to go?" He asked.

No, but I couldn't tell him that. "Yeah sure," I told him getting up.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I told Leah.

"Yeah, see you then Bella." She waved as I followed Charlie up the trail to the parking lot.

The drive home was quiet, as it usually was between me and Charlie, but my thoughts were filled with Seth and his dark eyes and dimples.

"Hey Dad, I'm going to head to bed."

"See you tomorrow, kid," Charlie said.

I went through my nighttime routine, and crawled in bed. As my eyes drifted shut, I felt flutters of excitement as I thought of tomorrow's beach trip. Was I finally ready to move forward?