I opened my eyes, stretching slowly. Then I sat up and smiled in welcome to the rocking chair in the corner. My mouth dropped open when I saw my dresser, my old dresser, where Renee's rocking chair should be. I quickly turned, looking from side to side, taking in my surroundings. This was not my room. Well, it was, but it was my old one. The one in Phoenix. I jumped up, and ran to the window.
The sky outside was perfectly cloudy, and it was a perfect 75 degrees outside.
Why was I in Phoenix? How did I get to Phoenix? Where on Earth was Edward? So many questions swirled nauseatingly in my head. I decided to just go and call Edward. He would know.
I got dressed, wearing a tan sweater and jeans. It was hot and uncomfortable, but I just began searching for my cell phone; I would be out of here and with Edward in Forks soon enough.
I dialed the number quickly, getting anxious. I wanted to get out of here, and back to Charlie, to Edward, to Alice. To my room. It rang five times, and the wait was excruciating, before a small click came from the phone.
"Hello," came a soft, musical voice that I knew by heart. I smiled, though I knew he couldn't see me.
"Hey, it's me. I-"
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" His voice was confused. What? How could he not recognize my voice? Maybe the connection was just bad…
"It's me, Bella." My voice was warm, happy.
"Who?" Still confused, and slightly…worried? There was an edge to it that I didn't understand. Why was he fooling with me like this? I just wanted to go home, to Forks, and... why was he being so…unfunny?
"Ha ha. Very funny, Edward. Come on, stop trying to be funny. I'm here in Phoenix and-"
"I've never been to Phoenix in my life." His voice was surprised now. "And, I'm sorry, but…I don't know who you are."
"Come on, Edward." My voice was getting snippy; I was mad. Why is he keeping up this charade? "It's not funny anymore. I'm serious. Quit fooling around." By the end, my voice was raised, to show him I was done playing his game.
"Um…I'm sorry, but…what was your name again? Your full name? Maybe that would help me…remember…" I could hear the distress in his voice.
I heard slight mumbling on his end. I recognized Alice's voice. Oh, maybe she was in on it, too. Thought it would be a funny joke… Well, boy was she wrong!
"Fine. I'll play along. My name is Isabella Swan."
"I have never heard that name in my entire life."
What the hell was his problem?!? Now I was pissed!
"What, in all your hundred and ten years, you've never heard of me? Is that right?" I snapped.
"I…" his voice was frightened now. What need would he have to be frightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh come on, Edward. This is seriously not funny anymore. What – do all vampires take this long to get that their jokes are not appreciated?"
"You think I'm a vampire?" His voice was skeptical, but had a dark edge to it. I knew it long enough to realize that.
I sighed. Fine. If it would get him to stop, I'd play along…
"I know that you are a vampire, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen. I'm pretty sure that humans can't break trees with no effort, or run through the forest at like … super speed, or read minds." I said with an implying tone, expecting him to laugh and give in.
No such luck.
"What? How do you know these things, when I haven't even met you before?" He hissed. His voice was dark, and low. I struggled to hear it. It was also full of panic.
I stood there, just holding the phone, frozen in shock. This couldn't be happening. He is just fooling with me.
But he would have stopped by now, wouldn't he have? Could he really have…
"Do you really…" My voice was panicked, a whisper. "not remember me?" My voice cracked.
"No." His voice was flat. Dismissive. "But…I would like to meet you…to find out… how on Earth you know these things about me."
"Fine." I spat. " Ask Alice where we'll meet. She should know." He gasped, almost mutedly. "No, scratch that. Before you do, see Jasper. You seriously need to calm down, (-again, that muted gasp-) and, like freaking REMEMBER ME!!"
I threw the phone against my closet door. The battery fell out and skidded across the floor. I ran to my bed, and screamed into my pillow. Within five seconds, my screams turned to gasps as tears flew down my face in a river, traveling past my cheeks and forming small, wet shapes on my pillow.
How could he forget me? I loved him. He loved me. He proposed to me! We had gone through so much together, and now, he goes off and forgets! And I still don't know why I am in Phoenix!!
What the hell happened to me? To my life?
Wait. Maybe this is just a bad dream… I slapped my cheek. Really hard.
"Ouch!" A very thin line of blood flew softly and slowly down my cheek.
OK. Definitely not dreaming. I touched my hand to my cheek again, tenderly, wiping the blood away. I pulled my hand back and brought it to my face. I stared at the drop of blood on my finger, lost in thought.
Edward. Could he really forget me? How could he forget me? After everything we've been through, even if he didn't have his vamporial memory, even if his memory was only human, how could he FORGET me?
I love him. I would do anything for him. We've proven our love for each other again and again, and one day, his memory is just…wiped away? How can that be? He proposed to me a little over a month ago, and now, such a short time later, he forgets about me completely!? I felt fresh tears flowing down my face, and my knees were suddenly so weak. I fell to the floor, my face connecting with the cool wood of my bedroom's bottom.
It's decided. If he has forgotten, then I shall consider it my duty to remember me, to put everything back the way it is supposed to be. I will make him remember me. Or die trying.
I stepped out of my truck, and started to slip in the mud. I grabbed at the car mirror, and missed. I scrunched up my face for impact, when an icy hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me up in an uncaring manner. I looked up into Edward's eyes. They were cold, distant, and full of an extreme raging conflict. That hurt. It reminded me of when…he left. Except now, if I asked him if he wanted me, he would say no. And mean it this time…
"Thanks." My tone was depressed, and I saw that his expression grew slightly frustrated. There was a slight pout to it.
"You will find that you can't read my mind, Edward." I said his name with unintentional affection and he stared at me incredulously. Whether from saying his name like that or simply being unable to read my mind, I didn't know.
"Why?" His tone was innocent, caught off guard. He was honestly curious as to the answer. If only I had it…
"I have no idea. But don't worry. It's not just you. Aro and Jane can't affect me either. Still for unknown reasons." I sounded like a textbook, with hard facts.
His mouth twitched, but he recomposed himself, merely raising one perfect eyebrow.
"You know of the Volturi?" Oh, his wonderful, perfect, musical voice. How could he really have forgotten me?
"Yeah." My voice was offhand, as if I didn't care. "The two of us only nearly got…you know massacred. No big."
His mask fell. He simply stared at me incredulously. "We?" His voice was implying.
"Well, to tell the truth, it was sort of…completely your fault. You went to go kill yourself. You asked the Volturi to kill you, they said 'no', you tried to force them to kill you by walking into the sun. But Alice foresaw it, and like tried to get me to save you. We flew around the world to Italy, and I tried to get you to move out of the sun. Then Marcus tried to get me to come with you down to that…awful…chamber…anyways… you didn't want me to come, but people were staring so you tried to keep me safe, and so you brought me with you. Then you talked to Aro, and dear God is he perky, and then he saw that his ability didn't work on me, so he tried Jane's. But then you got in my way, and …that was…awful to watch…I tried to help you, but Alice held me back. Then Jane tried it on me, and nothing happened. So then Aro laughed, and he said I was your la tua cantante … you know 'your singer?' And then he asked Alice, and you … and me…to join them … and we declined. And then they made you promise…well…actually you didn't but Alice showed them it happening…anyways … they wanted to make sure that you would turn me… and when we got back, you…proposed to me…" The end was a mere mumble, and he stared at me, disbelieving.
That hurt. Deep. I told him everything that happened last summer, and he still didn't remember. He just looked at me, his face full of doubt.
"Well," He cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Isabella-"
"Bella," I corrected, a reflex.
"Bella." He amended, "but…I really don't remember you."
No. No. No! NO! He had to remember, he had to! He couldn't just forget me! I was standing right here, I told him of half of our relationship, and he just blows me off!
I sank to the ground, to my knees, into the mud. He stared at me, anxious.
"Bella?" His voice, it reminded me of when I heard the voices, of when I was drowning, before Jacob… wait.
"Jacob." His eyes, usually flashing darkly at this point, remained unchanging. Dang. But maybe, maybe, I could get Jacob to help me get Edward's memory back. But first, I needed to find out how much he forgot; It can't be just me … he didn't remember Jacob…
"Hey, Edward," I tried to make my voice uncaring. "Where are we?"
"Um… I don't know. Alice just told me to come to this rainy place…in Washington of all places…why did you want to meet here?"
"This… is Forks, Washington. You met me here. There is a meadow, not too far from here. It is where you told me you loved me for the first time." My eyes grew very soft, but hardened again at his surprised expression.
"We were…in love?"
"Yes." I took another step towards him, slowly. He noticed. My heart tore in two when he stepped back slightly.
"We were, Edward. You proposed, and… I love you…and you loved me…and I will do everything in my ability to get your memory back. And after that, we can work out how you lost your memory in the first place."
He smiled timidly at me. It was still beautiful, but not even close to as wonderful as his crooked smile. He reached out his hand, and I took it. He pulled me up with no effort, and after I was up, I did not let go. I tried to pull myself closer to him, but he pulled away, stiffening. I looked up and his eyes were black as coal.
"Oh… why didn't you hunt before you came here? That's…not… really…good." His eyes were full of restraint, as much as I had seen on that first day. I backed away very slowly. I didn't want to run; I didn't want to be afraid. And I wasn't afraid… much…
"Edward?" I said it slowly, cautiously. His eyes flickered to me and away. I tried to be very still, to not stir the air with my scent.
He closed his eyes, and was very still. I tried to breathe as little as was necessary. I knew that I should be horrified. I knew that my life could end at any moment, and I wouldn't even see it coming. I should be frozen in fear.
But I wasn't. I was frozen. But with concern. I knew how my scent tormented him that first time, and now he had to go through it again. I felt only for him. Just like always, my emotions were the same. If only his were…
He breathed out suddenly, quickly, and smiled at me. I let out my breath, smiling back. "I am so sorry. Could you forgive me?"
"Of course. It's not the first time, anyways. Not for me. The question is if you could forgive me."
"Why do you need to be sorry?"
"I'm your singer."
He laughed, and smiled. It still wasn't my smile, my crooked smile. I would forever wait for it.
I took his hand again. He didn't pull away.
"I have something to show you."
He let me lead him now. I pulled him towards his meadow, into the forest I would never forget, the forest where my angel declared himself for the first time.
"I will help you remember Edward. I promise, no, I swear, I will. I will find out what happened, and then we will be together forever."
And he smiled.