Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Seventy-Five

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 175

BPOV

"Why couldn't you wait, Bella?" Emmett griped. He was setting up my bed in my new condo. As soon as Esme left, I made sure that my bed, couches and kitchen stuff was being delivered to my new place. Edward, after I had told him that I was moving out and asking for a month to heal, disappeared. Not that I blamed him. I pretty much threw everything he said to me back in his face, asking for that time.

I hated hurting him, but I needed to do this for myself.

So, I called Emmett and packed up my shit and left.

No note.

No forwarding address.

Nothing.

I even turned off my cell phone, borrowing Emmett's while he used Charlie's old line. I needed to get myself together before I could be Edward's Bella again. If that was even possible.

Irina was adamant that I was acting irrationally, but I disagree. She agreed with my moving out, but the timeframe and how I was handling it was the irrational thinking.

"I personally think you're fucking up the best thing in your life, bambina," Emmett said as he tossed the screwdriver into the toolbox. "Edward has given you everything and you leave like that? You've already left once and look where that got you."

"Fuck you, Emmett," I snarled. My hurt lurched in a painful reminder of what happened. I was broken beyond all repair. It was the main reason why I had to leave. I wanted to rage, scream and fall apart without Edward feeling his own guilt.

"Seriously, though. Edward worked himself to the bone to find you and has been by your side tirelessly since he found you in that warehouse. I was just as pissed as you when I found out that he was a fed, but he...he's going to give up at some point. You keep running away from him and one day, he's not going to take you back. He's going to stop chasing you," Emmett said as he picked up my bedding and hastily put it on the bed. It was sloppy but it would have to do. "I'm going to stay the night, but I have to be at the club tomorrow and I've got a date with Rosie on Sunday. Will you be alright?"

"Can you take me grocery shopping?" I asked. "I still can't drive."

"Tomorrow morning, bambina," Emmett said, picking up a pillow and stomping into the living room to sleep on the couch. He was pissed at me. Everyone was pissed at me. I sighed, crawling into bed and rubbing my fingers through Carino's fur. She was confused because the only home she'd known was gone. She loved Edward and was a holy terror when I tried to put her in the carrier to take her away from her daddy. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep but I knew it wouldn't come. I hadn't slept, really, since my conversation with Edward.

That's because you're feeling badly. You treated him like shit and you are feeling guilty, chick.

I know I was doing the right thing. I had to be. I needed to get back to being me.

Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well. I tossed and turned, riddled with nightmares. I kept my screaming to a minimum, but it was tough, trying to wake myself up before they memories started to get bad. I felt like shit when I got up to go grocery shopping with Emmett. We went in, went out and was back in my condo in an hour. With a gruff goodbye, Emmett left and I was left to set up everything on my own. My office furniture and cable was being set up today. I also needed to arrange for a landline for the security features of my new digs. I was also scheduled to have a physical therapy appointment with Kate. I had texted her with Emmett's phone with my address.

Sighing deeply, I crutched to the bathroom and worked on unpacking all of my toiletries. By the early afternoon, I had my office set up along with my cable. Emmett was going to bring my books sometime during the week. Kate came by, worked me to the bone and told me to start putting some weight, with the assistance of the crutches, on my leg. We set up our appointments for the rest of this week and she left.

Over the next two weeks, I existed. I didn't sleep much. I ate, only because Emmett made me. I did my physical therapy and went to my counseling sessions with Irina. She was not pleased with my decision and made it abundantly clear that I was hurting myself more than helping. I bit back and explained to her that I needed to rely on me: not Emmett, not Edward, not my father. Me! In some ways, I was getting better. I felt more able to complete simple tasks and I wasn't as freaked out by random sounds or whatever. Irina was concerned about my lack of sleep and she gave me a sleeping pill.

Another week passed and I was able to get around on my own. I could walk with just one crutch and was able to drive once I took off my boot. It felt good to have the freedom. The first place I went was to my regular salon. I needed a sense of normalcy so, I hobbled in and asked for a pedicure, wax and a blowout. Everything was going smoothly until I went up to pay for my treatments. Standing outside of the salon was one of Aro's goons. I recognized him from the warehouse. He apparently wasn't arrested. My vision tightened on him and he was laughing with a girl.

"Bella? Bella? Are you okay?" asked the receptionist.

"No," I choked out, thrusting a shit ton of cash to the girl and practically sprinting out of the salon. I don't remember the drive, or where I was going. Somehow, by the grace of God, I ended up in my parking garage, having some sort of panic attack. Get inside, Bella. You can do this. Come on! Dragging my body out of the car, I went upstairs to my apartment. I was barely through the door when I collapsed out of sheer exhaustion and terror.

A/N: Bella, Bella, Bella...denial ain't a river in Egypt, my dear. What's going to happen next?

Seriously...what's going to happen? Anyone got any ideas. *Snorts*

Pictures of Bella's condo are on my blog and tumblr. Leave me some!

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