Chapter Fourteen: Distance

The sun is filling up the room, and I can hear you dreaming.
Do you feel the way I do? Right now.
I wish we would jut give up, 'cause the best part is falling.
Call it anything but love.
And I will be sure to keep my distance.
Say I love you when you're not listening.
And how long can we keep this up?

Please don't stand so close to me; I'm having trouble breathing.
i'm afraid of what you'll see right now.
I give you everything I am, all my broken heartbeats, until I know you'll understand.
And I will make sure to keep my distance.
Say I love you when you're not listening.
And how long can we keep this up?

-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-

The moment Alice left I started freaking out about Edward watching me sleep, she wouldn't tell me when he was going to, just that he was...Eventually at 9:45pm i retired to my room and got ready for bed, carefully taking too much time deciding on the appropriate pyjamas. I finally gave up and just put on a pair of old sweat pants and a t-shirt, Edward had never cared what i wore to bed, so why would he start now? Because he's not the same Edward, a small voice in my mind told me. I groaned and climbed into bed, knowing my subconscious was right. I fell asleep quickly, although my dreams didn't offer any peace.

I was running through the forrest, stumbling more like it, and i was utterly ordinary. Human. I didn't stop until i reached the familiar clearing, it was beautiful as always, lush and bright, but there was something different about it. Something that i had never come across before, there were already people in it, at a closer look i let out a breath of relief as i saw that it was Edward and Renesmee.
"Edward! Nessy!" I yelled, running as fast as I could through the tall grass. What happened next will probably haunt me for the rest of my miserable life.
"Daddy!" Nessy yelled, after she'd worn off the initial shock of seeing me. Edward was next to her in a microsecond, his teeth slightly bared towards me, the sight of that pulled me up short.
"Edward?" I whispered, furrowing my eyebrows.
"Who are you?" he asked, picking Renesmee up so she clung to his back, out of my sight.
"What do you mean? It's me, Edward... It's Bella" I uncertainly smiled at him, making a move to step forward, but he took a step back in time with me, so we were still equally as far apart as we were before.
"I don't know who you are, Bella" he spoke smoothly, calmly. My mind was reeling, sending doubts and confusion through my head.
I cleared my throat, trying to speak around the lump that was forming, "Wh...What are you talking about?" before he had time to answer, a woman walked out of the forest line on the other side of the clearing, when she saw me, she froze and then quickly composed herself and was at Edwards side within the next second. Instantly I recognised her, the look at her inhuman beauty made my blood run cold and the colour drain from my face. The vampire standing before me was me.
"Who's this?" the vampire version of me asked.
"I'm not sure, Love" Edward replied, i flinched but didn't say anything, too shocked to form words.
"What's your name?" vampire me asked, her smile was so inhumanly dazzling that it instantly reminded me that this was in fact a dream and broke through my haze.
"My name is Bella" I told them, my eyes landing on Edward and Nessy so I didn't have to see how beautiful I used to be. They all watched me for a few seconds before Renesmee broke the silence.
"That's your name too, Mummy" Pain racked through me before I took a deep breath and willed it away, just a dream I told myself. It's only a dream.
"Yes it is, baby" the vampire version of me said, eyeing me curiously. "how peculiar"
"What are you doing all the way out here?" Edward asked.
"I was looking for someone" I told them, keeping my eyes on the ground. I heard Edward clear his throat quietly.
"There's no one here besides us" he told me matter-of-factly, and my eyes found the floor again.
"I know that" I murmured, what I didn't make known was that I had found who I was looking for.

The moment I decided to ask if Edward or Nessy recognised me, they started fading in and out. "No" I whimpered, "Don't leave yet"
"We need to get back" the vampire version of me said, taking Renesmee into her arms.
Without another word, Edward, Nessy and my vampire self faded from the meadow. I looked around, hoping to see a glimpse of them somewhere but all I could see was an empty clearing.

"Bella" I heard someone whisper, I looked up curiously but couldn't see anyone. "Bella" the person said more forcefully, instantly I recogised the voice. A smile broke out across my face as I called back to her.
"Alice!"
"Isabella" She grumbled, I felt the ground shift unevenly under my feet, threatening to make me fall over.
"Wh-" I was about to question what was going on around me when the voice of my father stopped me short.
"Sorry Bells" he said, I looked around the meadow, shading my eyes against the sun. How did Charlie even know about this place? It was bad enough that Alice knew about our meadow, but at least that was logical.
I was about to call out to Charlie when I felt a slight vibration at my feet, it quickly escalated to a shaking that didn't stop, I gasped as I felt the familiar tug that meant the dream was ending.

Panting I stay laid down in my bed, my face buried in the covers. "Sorry" I heard Alice mumble next to me. I turned my head to look at her, there she was sitting on the side of my bed already dressed for the day to come.
"It's fine" I told her, stretching as I sat up, looking around for my towel. As I caught a glimpse of the sky outside, I turned back to glare at Alice "What time is it?"
"5:22" she told me, with another sheepish grin.
"Alice!" I groaned, letting my head fall back to my pillow "Why did you wake me up so early?"
"We need to get you ready" she told me matter-of-factly, "you're trying to make my brother notice you, right?"
I looked at her, her knowing smile already telling me that she knew the answer, so I silently nodded.
"Then the 5:22 wake up call is necessary, now have your shower so we can get started." She said, gesturing over to my desk, which was now covered in all kinds of makeup and torture tools. I groaned all the way to the bathroom, grumbling about crazy vampires but instantly calmed down when the warm water hit my body, relaxing my sleepy muscles.

"Okay!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands together, "sit down" she commanded happily.

An hour and a half later, Alice was putting the finishing touches on my make up. "So?" she asked, turning me to face the mirror. I looked at my reflection - or what I guessed was my reflection, the person looking back at me didn't actually look anything like me, she was beautiful.
"It's perfect, Alice" I told her, smiling at her through the mirror, she beamed and ushered me to stand next to my bed.
"Okay, put these clothes on and then we can leave" I watched as Alice put a clothes cover on my bed. I unzipped it hesitantly, sighing with relief when I saw it were clothes that I usually wore.

"Alice!" I called, "these Jeans are way too tight!"
"No they're not, they fit you perfectly." she scoffed, ushering me out of my room.
"I can barely breathe in them!" I complained, pulling at the top of my pants. "And my top cuts way too low!" I told her, trying to cover myself more with the thin blue material.
"Stop complaining, Bella. You look amazing, and Edward is going to love it." she said, tapping her temple knowingly. I didn't know what else to say, he was the reason I had let Alice dress me in the first place. "Come on, we're going to be late"
I rolled my eyes and trudged down the steps to get something for breakfast, "I already have your breakfast waiting in the car, Bella. Come on" Alice urged, I groaned but followed her out the door anyway, grabbing my coat to cover my poor excuse for a shirt on the way.

"You lied to me Alice! He hates it!" I whisper-yelled at Alice as we made our way out the gate at the end of the day, "he didn't even look at me once!"
"He noticed, don't worry" she tried soothing me and motioned for me to get into her car.
"he didn't acknowledge it though" I grumbled, and instantly felt childish for doing it.
"Were you expecting him to? Edward isn't that way" Alice argued, peeling out of the parking spot and into the line of cars waiting to exit. I sighed and rested my head back against the headrest. I didn't realise until we'd pulled onto the highway that Alice was taking me back to her house.
"Alice, I need to go home" I told her quietly, my mind still playing through the memories of the day just gone. There's no way I can see him yet.
"It'll be worth your while, don't worry" she replied with a mischevious grin, i sighed again and chose to ignore her. Charlie finishes work at 6pm, that's only 3 hours away, I'm sure he'll come get me.

"It's nice to see you again, Bella" Esme greeted me as I walked through the front door, I mumbled a polite reply, too intrigued by the house to say anything else. It looked exactly as I remembered, baring one piece of furniture that I had come so accustomed to seeing, Edwards black piano that he had performed on so many times was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's the Piano?" I asked before I thought to stop myself, I saw everyone exchange a glance, except Alice who cracked a grin and answered.
"It's in Edwards room, where was it in your coma?" I motioned over to the corner of the room where his Piano had once been, now occupied by a small bookshelf.
"Come on," Alice finally said, pulling me by the arm around the corner to where I knew the kitchen was. "Tour time"
"Um, I've already seen it Alice" I reminded her, feelings everyones stares in my back.
"I'm sure not everything is the same" she argued, throwing me a pointed glance, daring me to challenge her. She was right, not everything was the same, the basic layout of the house was everything that I remembered, but where Esme had decorated using antiques and priceless pieces, she now used more modern furniture that you would see in celebrity homes.
"Esme let Rosalie and myself decorate with her this time, it happens every few decades." Alice's laugh was melodic, ringing through the house long after she had quieted herself. I turned around expecting to see Esme's smiling face but everyone had dispersed, I didn't dwell on the thought that they didn't want to be in my company and followed Alice up to the first landing.

Alice and Jasper's room was the room that had changed the most in the house, where there used to be only Alice's taste in color and materials, the color scheme seemed to now resemble both of them.
Alice led me out of her and Jasper's room and down to the last door in the hallway, one that i knew belonged to Edward. Instead of opening the door as she had done to everyone else's, she stopped in front of it and waited for a couple of seconds before it opened soundlessly.
"Edward, I was wondering if you would like to give Bella a tour of your room." she asked politely. I stared at her, too afraid to look at Edward's reaction.
"Sure," Edward said, opening the door wider and motioning for me to enter. Alice flashed me a big smile and dashed off, too fast for my eyes to see. "It's not much, but..." he trailed off, closing the door with a soft click.
"It's perfect" I told him, looking around the room. It was technically the same room, I could tell with the view from the one glass wall that he has running along the side of his room, and I'd been here enough times to know what it looks like even if everything else in it is different. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable tug I got in my chest when I remembered where things used to be and where they were now or what had replaced them. I also tried to ignore lingering thoughts of what this could mean for us. Have our lives changed too? I shook that thought away and focused on what was the same. For example, the huge bed sitting in the middle of his room, it was plush, gold and exactly the one that he had bought me the first time I had slept over. I saw Edward watching me from the corner of my eye and blushed an embarrassing shade of red.
"Alice suggested I buy one" I just nodded, moving to look at the big bookshelf he had lining one of his walls.
"What are you listening to" I murmured as I turned up the volume on his stereo. "Debussy" I looked over at him and smiled.
"I know it's probably not what you're accustomed to..." he trailed off when I shook my head.
"Clair de lune is great" I told him, trailing my eyes along his millions of books.
"You know Debussy?" Edward asked, his close proximity making me shiver. I turned around to look at him while I spoke but my words caught in my throat when I saw how close he actually was to me. I knew what he was doing, he'd done this before, he was trying to scare me away. Most humans would be uncomfortable being less than 2 metres away from any vampire but I didn't seem to have that basic instinct. "Do you?" he breathed, his breath fanning across my face, all I could do was nod.
"You're dazzling me again" I mumbled before I could make sense of my words, when I did, I ducked my head as my cheeks flamed brightly.
"I'm sorry?" He questioned, "Bella?" he murmured, putting his finger under my chin to make me look at him. I gave a nervous laugh and looked at a spot on his shirt.
"It's nothing, I didn't mean to say that."
"I dazzle you?" He continued, ducking down so that we were eye level and raising an perfect eyebrow. I stayed quiet, trying to keep my nerves at bay. Edward took my silence as confirmation and stepped back looking smug.
I rolled my eyes and moved away from him, walking over to the window and looking across the spectacular view.

"Bella! Edward!" Alice yelled, running into Edward's room I turned around in time to see her skid to a stop and motion for both of us to follow her.
"Where are we going?" I asked, walking over to where she was waiting impatiently.
"We're playing Truth or Dare" Alice chirped.
"Alice," Edward warned, "no"
"Don't argue with me Edward, I've already seen that I will get my way." Alice said exasperatedly, "now come on, everyone is waiting"
"Um, Alice" I started, looking uncertainly at Edward who was looking more uncomfortable by the minute. "I think I -"
"Don't even start Bella, you're not leaving. This is going to work in your favour." I sighed but followed Alice through the doorway, keeping my eyes away from Edward who had stiffened at Alice's comment.

Author Note: This chapter isn't perfect Guys, I'm sorry. I just really wanted to update, but I'll make it work! :) REMEMBER TO REVIEW