All I could think of was Bella. I felt a twinge of guilt as I remembered why I was so excited. She was at my house because I’d tricked her, leaving her in Alice’s care under extreme circumstances. Although I loath to appear the tyrant, I had no choice. I could not concentrate on any aspect of the hunt with my mind constantly drifting to her safety. It was intolerable.

I suddenly realized that Emmett’s cheer might be because, for the first time in a very long time, we had all hunted together. Was his challenge was not just for sport, but also a ploy to plan a repeat of this weekend’s adventures? I winced; my ill mood frequently disrupted the lives of those I loved.

But, in truth, with Bella safe in Alice’s capable hands, I’d actually been able to enjoy myself this weekend. Jasper had felt like himself without my depression and anxiety rolling toward him in incessant waves of anguish. Emmett had been able to do what he does best, enjoy our lifestyle in any way possible. Carlisle frequently looked at us all in bright-eyed wonder, sincerely thanking his God for the very fact that we were all together.

His sincerity was humbling.

In fact, not only had I been free from worry of Bella’s safety, but I had also received a delightful surprise halfway through the trip, brightening my mood even more. I grinned to myself as I remembered the voice message she’d left on my phone. Flustered and pouty, she’d called to scold me for deceiving her. It was ridiculously adorable. I had listened to the message six times before saving it.

I caught myself on the verge of laughter as I recalled another vision I'd caught from Alice’s mind prior to our departure. It was exquisite. In the vision, Bella was sitting on our white couch; Alice at her feet, painting Bella’s delicate toes a shocking shade of red. I truly struggled to stifle my laughter as I remembered the scowl I was sure I’d seen on Bella’s beautiful face. Her lips were always so full and soft. They were always so inviting…

I was impatient. Where were we? I had drifted into my thoughts so completely I'd nearly lost track of time. In my sudden awareness, I lowered my mental block on my family’s minds too prematurely. Instantly, I caught an image in Emmett’s mind of Rosalie sauntering towards him, lips bright red, and hair wild. Jasper was thinking about taking Alice horseback riding. Carlisle was reciting his favorite poems by Rudyard Kipling. I cringed at the intensity of Emmett’s memories and immediately blocked them again. It was late and we were at least an hour from Forks.