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"she's alive"
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"I'm guessing you didn't rent this car?" Bella asked Alice as the three raced along the county roads in Italy.
"I figured you wouldn't be opposed to grand theft auto," Alice said.
"Not today," Bella said.
"I'm going to get sick," Hayley mumbled from the back seat.
"Oh, hush. We're almost there," Alice assured before spacing out again.
Bella noticed she was having a vision. "What? What do you see?" she asked in a panic.
"They refused him," Alice stated.
"So?" Bella questioned.
"He's going to make a scene," Alice said. "Show himself to the humans."
"No! When?" Bella asked.
"He's gonna wait until noon, when the sun's at its highest," Alice informed, spacing out again. "Jasper's there."
That caught Hayley's attention. "What?" She asked.
"He's trying to convince Edward," Alice said.
"God, Alice, you got to hurry up," Bella panicked.
"There's Volterra," Alice stated, looking at the city in the distance.
After driving a little longer, they had finally arrived in the city. The streets were full of people in red cloaks, making it nearly impossibly for them to get through. Alice honked the horn multipe times, forcing people to get out of the way.
"Why are they all in red?" Bella asked, stressing out.
"San Marco's Day festival," Alice answered. "They're commemorating the expulsion of vampires from the city. It's the perfect setting. The Volturi will never let him get far enough to reveal himself."
"We have five minutes!" Bella exclaimed, running her hands through her hair.
"I know, Bella, just breathe," Alice said.
Hayley placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing slightly. Alice slammed on the breaks when they came across a road block, police yelling at her to stop. Hayley and Bella quickly climbed out of the car.
"Alice?" Bella questioned when they realized she wasn't getting out.
"Bella, you're the only one he can't see coming," Alice informed. "If I go, he'll read my thoughts. He'll think I'm lying and rush into it."
"Where do we go?" Bella asked.
"He'll be under the clock tower. Go!" Alice yelled.
The two girls quickly took off running through the crowded streets. They pushed through the mass of people in red, not bothering to apologize. It seemed like they were never going to find him. Going around every corner, up flights of stairs, they finally laid eyes on the clock tower. The only problem; the giant crowd of people in the way. Pushing through the crowd, Hayley followed Bella to an opening near the fountain.
The bell in the clock tower rang, informing everyone that it was noon. As Alice said, Edward stood inside the tower, undoing his shirt as he stepped towards the door.
"Edward!" Hayley screamed, but he didn't seem to notice her over to the noise of the crowd.
Edward took off his shirt completely, inching closer to the sunlight. Muttering a few profanities, Hayley used her enhanced speed and ran through the fountain and towards the vampire, Bella following behind. It only took a few seconds for her to reach him before she tackled him to the ground, back into the shaded building.
"Hayley?" Edward questioned, his voice hoarse.
"She's alive, Edward," Hayley said, getting off of him.
The two stood up from the ground as Bella came rushing into the building. She quickly jumped into Edwards's arms, panting heavily as he buried his head into her neck.
"Bella," he whispered in a daze. "You're here."
"I'm here," she confirmed.
Edward smiled brightly, the weight being lift off his shoulders. "You're alive," he said.
"Yes," Bella said, looking down. "I needed you to see me once. You had to know that I was alive, that you didn't have to feel guilty about anything. I can.. let you go now."
"I never acted out of guilt," Edward told her. "I just couldn't live in a world where you don't exist."
"But you said-"
"I lied," he told her. "I had to lie. But you believed me so easily."
"Because it doesn't make sense for you to love me," Bella said. "I mean, I'm nothing. I'm human. I'm nothing."
"Bella, you're everything to me," Edward said, cupping her cheek. "You're everything."
The two shared a kiss, making Hayley feel even more uncomfortable. The sound of a gate opening caught Hayley's attention, and made the two pull away from their moment. Two men walked out and started towards them. Edward pulled Bella close to his body as Hayley moved to grab her stake.
"I won't be needing your services after all, gentlemen," Edward said.
"Aro wants to speak with you again," one of the men informed.
"No rules were broken," Edward argued.
"Nonetheless, we should take this conversation to a more appropriate venue," the man said.
"Fine," Edward said. "Girls, why don't you go and enjoy the rest of the festival?"
"The girls come with us," the man said.
"No, you can go to hell," Edward said.
The lock on the door broke and Alice walked in. "Come on, guys. It's a festival. You wouldn't want to make a scene," she said.
"We wouldn't," the man agreed.
A woman walked out, putting down her hood in the process. "Enough," she demanded.
"Jane," Edward said.
"Aro sent me to see what was taking so long," she informed.
Jane turned and walked away, and the rest reluctantly followed. Bella looked at Alice with a confused look on her face, but she only shook her head. Hayley kept a hand on the stake that was strapped to her thigh, her protective instincts on over-drive.
