RED MIDNIGHT • Twilight •

1 ≻ Soulless

Soulless

Coming back from Italy reminded me of the time I first met Edward, when he tried so hard to keep a distance, even rejecting me.

We sat together in the plane, alone. I guess Alice had arranged that, thinking we may have a lot to talk about. Truth is... Edward did not even look at me during the whole flight, not even when I reached for his hand.

Not even when I tried to ask him how he was.

Not even when I cried at his silence.

It was like if a part of him had been left in Italy. The part of him that loved me.

The trip from the airport to Forks was no different at all. We arrived at night and, to my surprise, it was a lovely night. Not a single cloud in the sky. All the stars and a giant full moon were easily visible.

Alice drove all the way in silence, feeling awkward, for sure; Edward and I in the backseat, as separated as possible. And even though not a single word was spoken, I could tell Edward and Alice were somehow talking, he reading her mind, and Alice reading his expressions in the rear view mirror.

When we got to Forks I realized I would have to face Charlie, but not now. Among the many problems I had, that one could wait a bit.

"Bella," Alice finally said breaking the awkward silence in the car "is it ok if we go straight to our house?"

"Emm, sure. But why?" The Cullens had left Forks after my birthday accident and their house had been abandoned since then.

"Well," she stopped, checking on Edward's face. Like if she needed his approval to tell me. "We decided to come back to Forks." Her words were filled with pain, maybe because of the memories of why they had decided to leave before, but at the same time she was smiling.

"You are?!" I could not hide my excitement. I immediately turned to look at Edward, who was looking at me for the first time. But, unlike Alice, he was not smiling. His eyes were darker and her whole face showed one thing only. Pain.

I kept staring at him, waiting for a reaction, a word at least. I got nothing. He simply turned his face away to look at the dark street outside.

I sighed but I was not going to give up. "That's great news, Alice," I told her extending my hand to reach her shoulder in a silly sign of support. She smiled and winked at me. It was incredible how much I had missed her.

In a matter of minutes, we were at the entrance of the Cullens' house. I opened my eyes in disbelief. The house looked great and had all the lights turned on. It was like if time had not passed. Or better, like if they had never gone.

We got off the car and in just two seconds I saw a blur coming towards us. The Cullens.

They were all around Edward, smiling and sighing in relief. Esme was hugging him so tight that I could notice his body twisting a bit. Emmet and Jasper were laughing and playing with Edward's hair as Esme still had him immobile, like if they were a couple of children. Rosalie was scolding Edward for what he had done. But Carlisle came straight to me and hugged me.

"Thank you so much, Bella," he told me in a whisper, "you saved my son, once more." I could not believe he was actually thanking me. He got apart from me and went to hug Edward.