“My dear, Bella. I love you so much – more than words can describe. You are my sun, my light, my missing half, and my singer. Every other girl in the world, now and forever, pales in comparison to you. There is no one half as worthy of my affections as you are.

“Every second of my pitiful existence is for you, and I hate the many years fate spent keeping us apart. I often wonder why it would be so cruel as to do so. Then I remember how beautiful and caring you are, and realize how much you deserve better than my poor excuse at being a man.

“Your gorgeous blush is so alluring. Your pale skin is so soft and warm. Your wavy, brown hair is silky to the touch. And your lovely, chocolate eyes are full of love and trust. All of which I don’t deserve.

“When I left you all those months ago, it was with your best interests in mind. I’m a monster, and you deserve a regular, normal, happy existence. I left, hoping you could forget and move on. I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. If I had, I would have stayed without a second thought.

“But I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. And I made the biggest mistake of my life. Now I see how much it hurt you, only now, after the damage is already done. I curse the day I was born just because I now know it leads to your suffering.

“Even worse… I broke you to the point of no repair. Despite my return, the memory of those seven torturous months apart continues to torment you. I absolutely despise myself for leaving, and I will spend my entire life making it up to you.”

Edward’s strangled words had me in tears. The love and care behind them was mixed in with the pain and agony he felt. It hurt to see my angel like this.

Of course, I hadn’t lasted long. The very mention of being his singer had brought the tears and memories. To me, ‘La Tua Cantante’ meant soul mates. My blood sang to him in a way no others could. That was the reason for his immediate interest as well as a lot of our relationship. I knew my humanity was fragile, and the smell of my blood called to him, scared him.

Next, hearing talk of fate and my deserving better only resulted in further self-hatred. How could such a beautiful creature believe I was better than he deserved? Then, when he tried to explain how I looked in his eyes, Edward took my hand. The simple gesture pushed my silent tears to the edge and I fell forward, clutching my sides.

Now, the words of explanation came. The soft, beautiful words he uttered were the disease and the cure at the same time. He had left for my well-being, but the endless depression I had faced in his absence had left me practically dead. The hole that had formed opened again and I clutched my sides even harder.

Finally, his words of regret were laid on the table. It took every ounce of my self-control not to thrash out. Each and every one of the cuts I’d made since his leave burned with a painful intensity. His pained words only continued the dreadful sensation.

Realizing the distress, Edward placed his palms over my left forearm. The cold relieved most of my bodies suffering.

I didn’t know how long we had been sitting like that, but Nancy’s voice broke through the thick air. “I think that’s good for today.”

I nodded and got up. Leaving was a very nice idea. Edward stayed behind for a minute to make another appointment while Alice and I walked towards the car.

“He loves you, you know?” she said as I was getting in.

“I do,” I whispered once the door had closed.

I took one last glance at Nancy’s smiling face as Edward drove away. I would be coming back Saturday – the day Charlie would be out fishing. Sigh.