I was ten when I moved in with my dad, the Chief of Police for Forks, Washington. My mom had always been a flake and when she disappeared for more than a week, I called my dad crying. I was scared of being alone.

More than once over the years there were periods of time that I didn't see my mom, because of the odd hours that she worked, but I could always tell that she had been home. This time all my cups were still in the sink as were the knives I used to make my own sandwiches.

My dad was on the next flight to Arizona to get me. It took my mom two weeks to call him in a panic, not knowing where I was, and if I was safe. It turned out that mom had met a new guy, and they went on a vacation. Dad was livid to say the least and took mom to court to make sure she could never do that to me again.

I liked living with dad. I made my first real friend, Mary Alice Whitlock. She was the youngest of the Whitlock brood. Peter, the oldest, lived in Seattle with his wife Charlotte. He was some sort of engineer, while Charlotte was a stay at home mom of their two kids. Then there were the twins, Rosalie and Jasper.

Rosalie, and her husband Emmett McCarty, lived locally and ran a custom auto shop in Port Angeles, while Jasper became an officer in the Army after attending West Point. They all treated me like family, in fact, Lillian Whitlock, their mom, had taken it upon herself to make sure I never felt alone or abandoned again.

Rose even made sure that when Lillian couldn't watch me, she would. Just like my mom, Rose called me an old soul. Both Lillian and Rose taught me how to cook, and by the time I was thirteen, I was cooking meals for Charlie and I.

I was treated much like Alice when I was over at the Whitlocks. Peter and Char both deemed me their little sister. Rose treated me much like she did Alice, but also like a friend. Jasper, who wasn't around much because of his chosen career, treated me like I was special.

When he was at home on leave, he would spend time with just me. At first, this made my dad uncomfortable because of the fact that he was eighteen years older and unmarried.

By the time Alice and I were in high school, I knew for sure that I wanted to be with Jasper. I kept this to myself, and he stared in my dreams nightly. Alice started dating Edward Cullen, the son of the local Chief of Staff at the hospital.

Alice always asked me why I wasn't accepting invites to dates or dances from the guys in our class. I always told her that I wasn't interested in any of them and that when the right guy comes into my life, I'll gladly date and see where it goes. She laughed and said that I sounded much like Jasper, for he said he would never marry until he meets his soulmate.

High school came and went. Alice went to a school back east, so she could be close to Edward. Being the Chief's daughter, we didn't have much money, so it was local schools for me. As time went on the calls and emails from Alice came less and less.

The rest of the Whitlock's, along with the Cullen's, also moved back east and once again, I was alone except for my dad.

The day after I graduated college with my degree in English, with my teacher's certification; I got the call that Charlie had been shot on a routine traffic stop.

I called Alice needing a friend. She didn't answer, so I sent a text to all my contacts, which were the Whitlocks and Cullens, minus Jasper. I didn't have a contact for Jasper because he never knew if he was going to be state side or overseas, besides feeling that it's wrong for him to have the number of his sister's friend.

For the first time since I was ten, I felt so alone. It had been six hours, since I sent the text. It's been five hours, since I sent a second one to Rose. I kept checking my phone to make sure it hadn't died. Here, I'm twenty-two years old, and I have no one to sit with me, while I wait to find out if my dad makes it or not.

I couldn't help but look back at the past as I sat waiting. When I first came to Forks, I felt so loved and wanted, but slowly over the past four years, that feeling of being alone and abandoned has inadvertently crept back.

Finally, the doctor came to tell me the news. The news, which my gut had been telling me I would hear for the past half an hour. Dad didn't make it. I sent a quick text out to all my contacts, as I slowly walked out of the hospital numb from the news. Now, feeling even more alone than ever.

I'm not sure how I got home with all the tears, which were falling like torrential rain. I don't remember even making it to my room. I cried and slept, cried some more. I never moved from my spot, unless I needed to use the bathroom. I'm not sure, how long I had been there like that until Deputy Marks came looking for me.

He told me it had been two days, and I haven't been answering the door or the house phone. He used the spare key that Charlie had hidden for emergencies, deciding that her dad would agree this was one. He told me that Reverend Weber has been working on getting everything ready for Charlie's funeral and would gladly help me get all of his affairs in order.

I sent out one last text to all my contacts. Charlie's dead I'm all alone.

I showered, fixed something to eat since the rumble in my tummy reminded me that I was hungry, and didn't recall if I had eaten over the past two days. Once the kitchen was cleaned, I called Reverend Weber.

After the funeral, I became even more withdrawn. With Deputy Marks help, I cleaned out Charlie's office. Reverend Weber held true to his words and took care of calling the insurance company, along with the bank.

It was nice to know that the house was fully paid for and Charlie already had it set up to be transferred into my name upon his death. After all of Charlie's affairs were taken care of, I closed myself off from the world except to do the minimal stuff needed to survive. Here, I sit with a teacher's certificate, but have no desire to be around people. It's been two months, and I've never heard anything from the Whitlocks or Cullens. How could I have been so wrong to think that they were like family? They had abandoned me too, when I needed them the most.

This was worse than when I was ten and mom had abandoned me for some guy. I had no clue on how to function or move forward. I just went through the motions. When I was home, I never did anything other than sit in the rocking chair in my room, silent tears cascading down my sunken cheeks. With my will to live slowly dwindling, no hope in sight, hanging on was getting harder and harder.

Over the next six months, I would hear the local rumors when I went into Thriftway to get my groceries. It seems that Deputy Marks didn't want the job of Chief, so they were looking outside of the state for a replacement.

I know that from time to time, Deputy Marks and Reverend Weber would come and check on me, but I would never answer the door no matter how persistent, or long they knocked. I would tell them through the door, I was fine so that Deputy Marks wouldn't break the door down now that I had removed the hidden key from its resting place.

As the anniversary of Charlie's death rolled around, once again heard rumors. This time, what I would hear was that the new chief sure grew up to be a caring man and loved his country. The way they all talked it was, as if he had grown up here. I swear that I heard just a few weeks back that he was coming to us from Texas. Rumors, who knew what to believe and what to take with a grain of salt?

I wasn't prepared for seeing the only guy; I've ever held a crush on. As I walked out of Thriftway, there he was, standing in his chiefs' uniform leaning against the side of my truck. Even with the frown on his face, my heart skipped a beat as our eyes met.

"Isabella, Charlie would be rolling over in his grave if he knew you were shutting out the world," he said as I pushed my cart to the back of the truck, so I could place the bags in there, quickly averting my eyes as to not show any emotion. However, the only emotion left was despondence.

"What's it to you?" I questioned sounding cold and hurt.

He took the bags out of my hands carefully placing them in the bed of the truck.

"I once promised Charlie that I would look after you and never hurt you. How can I look after someone who has shut themselves away from the world, except to pick up a few groceries here and there?" He said, concern laced his southern drawl.

"Where were you when Charlie died, where were any of the people I thought of as my family? Nobody called; nobody sent a card or showed up for his funeral. You all left me alone, so go to hell," I shouted as I shoved the cart into the collection bin.

I walked past him, climbed into the truck, backed out leaving him standing there staring after me. I drove home not even bothering to get my food. I ran up the walkway fumbling as I unlocked the door, shutting it as well as relocking it before I slumped down and cried. How dare he say that he made a promise to look after me? Where was everybody when I needed him or her the most? Promises meant nothing if not kept.

All the hurt and anger that I'd built up over this past year came flooding out. I cried, holding my legs close to my body. I found myself rocking back and forth, and each time my back would hit the door; I would let my head hit also.

I'm not sure, how long I sat there like this, when the banging and shouting started.

"Isabella open this door, I won't let you shut me out; I'll stay out here until you let me in," I heard repeatedly.

I slowly stood; turned, unlocked the door, opened it and threw myself into his arms.

"Just tell me why?" I begged as fresh tears came down.

I felt him pick me up and walk over to the couch.

"Darlin', I don't know about the rest of the family. I've not talked to anyone in a few years. I only heard of Charlie's death when I saw the posting for the new chief. I applied because I knew I couldn't stay away any longer. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," he explained while simultaneously rubbing my back.

"Why have, the rest never called? I texted them. I also left voicemail?" I questioned him again, the tears spilling again.

"I can't answer that," he said kissing the top of my head as he wiped the tears away, "What I can answer is that you've always been so special to me. You are a part of me, the part that makes me whole," he said causing me to look at him with raised eyebrows.

I just stared not understanding what he was saying.

"Yes, Darlin'. I've known since the first time we meet that, you were it for me, but you were so young. Charlie knew how I felt about you. He saw the way I looked at you, so we talked and came to an understanding. He asked me to make sure that you were safe and taken care of if anything ever happened to him. I failed by not checking up on you or him these past few years. For that, I'm sorry; I should have been here for you. I only hope that you can forgive me, and give me a chance to make it right," he declared placing a tender kiss on my lips.