Chapter Twenty One: I Promise

Bella's POV

What was I doing here? I couldn't help but ask myself that as I sat in Volterra, the sun setting behind the castle like buildings. As more people passed I pushed myself into the shadows, my head hitting the back of the clock tower.

Ever since I did that project in second grade I had wanted to come here. Now that I actually was, all I wanted to do was go...go home. I wanted to go home to the green land of Forks. I wanted the rain and the forest. I wanted my friends, my family...Edward.

I wanted his crooked smile, piercing green eyes that seemed as if they could see straight to my soul. I wanted his arms wrapped around me, his velvet voice whispering in my ear, promising that everything would be alright.

The worst part was that they hadn't pushed me away, forced me to leave–I had decided to go all on my own.

Sure I could blame everyone, apart from Edward, for making me feel left out, but it was unintentional and I didn't do anything to stop it. I could say that Alice knew that I was being abused and didn't do anything to stop it but I could have confronted her in the morning. I didn't have to run away.

I didn't belong with them, but I sure as heck wanted to. I had never been any other place that made me feel more...safe, wanted. Of course I just had to go and throw it all away. Would they even notice that I was gone?

Of course they will, the more sane part of my mind said. They love you and are probably going crazy looking for you right now.

I hid my face in my arms and tried to choke back my sobs. I was sure that to any tourist I seemed like a crazy teenager who couldn't control herself.

“Bella,” I heard faintly, ignoring it. There were probably fifty Bella's in the large crowd. Though, in the back of my head the voice sounded panicked.

“Bella,” I heard again, slightly louder, a different voice this time.

“I'm going crazy.” I muttered to myself, wiping away the tears that fell relentlessly.

“Isabella!” Another voice yelled, sounding more mature than the others, more in control of his emotions.

I looked up but couldn't see more than two feet from me as the sun had fully set, the streetlights not yet on. Silhouettes walked past me at least ten feet away but they didn't seem to be looking for me. I quickly pushed that thought out of my head, not getting my hopes up in the slightest bit...or at least trying.

“Bella!” Someone called, louder than ever before, as if the people who were shouting were getting closer and closer insanely fast–like they were sprinting maybe?

Then a voice that I couldn't mistake for anything in the world called out, “Bella! Are you there? Bella! Please.” His voice breaking in the end, putting more tears in my eyes.

“E-Edward?” I called out timidly, as if I wasn't sure I was actually hearing his voice–afraid I was imagining it.

“Bella?” He called out again, hope in his voice.

I shot up, nearly falling back down, and desperately looked around, my eyes slightly adjusted to the night.

“Bella!” He called again, his voice louder than before. I could hear footsteps on the stone floor getting closer and closer.

I took a few steps forward, looking around.

“Edward?”

Right as I called out his name again something caught my eye. Many silhouettes, seven to be exact, were running in my general direction. They were all about thirty feet away from me. I was beginning to be able to see more and more. I saw golden blond hair that resembled Rosalie's, Inky black hair that looked just like Alice's, Brilliant bronze that was Edward's.

“Edward!” I shouted as loud as I could, running towards him, my thoughts of worry completely forgotten the second I saw him.

He stopped, turned a little to the sound of my voice, and broke into a dead sprint when he saw me. Though it wasn't physically possible I ran faster, meeting him in the middle.

When I reached him time seemed to go in slow motion. The force of both of us nearly had me falling over but he wrapped his arms around me, making it so I couldn't fall. I threw my arms around his neck and hid my face in the crook of his neck. His arms were wrapped around me so tightly that my feet weren't touching the ground.

“Don't you ever do that again.” He whispered in my ear. “Promise me that you'll never leave me again.”

“I promise.” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I promise, Edward.”