The world could’ve ended right then and I wouldn’t have been aware. All I saw was Bella as beautiful today as the first time I laid eyes on her and it took everything in me not to cross the room and take her into my arms, but she wasn’t mine in that way anymore. I gave up the right to embrace her whenever the urge struck.

She just continued to stare at me like I wasn’t real, sort of the way kids do at museum exhibits.

When I got to my feet, she flinched like a wax figure had come to life before her eyes. The smell of her fear was intoxicating, but the idea that Bella was afraid of me was enough to silence the monstrous part of me that had been excited by her panic.

“How’s Charlie?” I finally managed. Not exactly what I’d planned to say the first time I saw her, but I suddenly didn’t know how to be around her. I’d always felt so comfortable with her. It had really been a problem the first few times I interacted with her. Too many times I’d blurted out things that a vampire had no business saying to a human and now I could barely manage two words.

She frowned and took a few more tentative steps into the room. “He’s a vampire,” she replied flatly. I could feel the reprimand in her words.

“I’m sor-”

“Stop. The last thing I want to hear from you is that you’re sorry, Edward. It doesn’t change anything. It won’t give Charlie back his humanity, will it?” I shook my head not knowing what to say or do. She was clearly agitated, but I had a feeling that I could no longer be a source of solace to her. No, that position was currently filled – by a dog.

She sighed and fell heavily into the chair, her forehead resting in one hand  looking very human and very exhausted.

I stood rooted to the spot and waited for her speak. So many things I’d wanted to say. Even though I never planned on running back to her, I’d still dreamt of how it would play out. In each scenario, I’d had the perfect words that moved her and had her in my arms within seconds. I could see that I’d been living in a fantasy world.