I'd never given much thought to how I would die. But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go. I can't bring myself to regret the decisions that brought my face to face with death; they also brought me to Edward. And though most, including Edward himself, would say meeting the latter was when my number was up, I disagree. Edward's made me alive. It's been seven months since I left Phoenix, and then it was my sanctuary, now it is my tomb. And because tonight is my final night on this Earth, I'll address my departure to my loved ones.

Though James ordered me to be as hasty as possible, I had to leave a note. Not that it's mandatory, but it'll be the final thing on my mind as I die, knowing I never told anyone, Edward included, how much I truly loved them. Charlie: when I left him. Would Edward explain it to him, or would he contain the filling of his secret wedded with myth? I already could feel the droplets eloping from my eyes to join the paper, which I now write on so fiercely and with such excessive emotion, I fear I'll tear it.

When I was finished writing this pamphlet of farewells, I kissed the page and left it on the sofa before heading out to meet death for the final time. Aware, are you, that bereavement has arranged to meet me many times, the truck incident the most prominent. And now, it's finally going to meet me, in my old ballet studio. My mom, when she found me to be gay, thought I'd like typical gay things; therefore she applied me for that. Evidently, I couldn't dance and quit after two lessons. But I can't shake off the feeling that this is where my time will end and my blood will stop for ever.

Alice and Jasper were guarding the doors, so I'd have to slip out somewhere else. I just followed all of the signs reading 'underground car park', and knew I'd be able to make an easy and quick escape.

The subterranean level was brisk and dim; nevertheless, I made it out.

I was greeted with the sound of active cicadas and the sight of the devastatingly beautiful Milky Way in the onyx night sky. But this was unimportant; I had to get to the studio. My heaves and gasps for air were the clear indication I was pushing my muscles to the limit as I ran at unparalleled speed around the city which I knew so well. I could see people, night-clubbers, were casting me odd looks whilst I sprinted to the building which was only a few hundred yards away.

I saw the shops and the streets which I grew up with as I stumbled to my doom. The sights and sounds of Phoenix were a sign of dread and death. I felt unsafe here, of all places. I missed the protective green forests and cloudy cage-like skies of Forks-my home.

Soon enough, I made it, and standing outside, bent double, catching my breath and crying almost relentlessly at many facts, I was prepared to face the hunter.

Death is easy, peaceful. Life is harder.

Once I was inside, I glanced around in instinctual defence. No sign of him, however I knew he was here. The light from the full moon projected itself through the high windows and beamed off each of the thirty mirrors, making me even more terrified. Don't show it, Esto, I thought. I can't show my fear to the indubitably watching James.

My shoes stepped hard on the wooden floor with my head turning at all sides. Now that the anxiety was overwhelming, I found it hard to mask it. Though it was in vain; James' footsteps were running towards me from behind. My heart raced and I turned around quickly. It was greeted with a blast from rock-hard, icy hands. The body my soul possessed flew back about three metres. I prepared to feel the sting of a tremendous fall, but it never came. And then I realised I hadn't hit the ground yet. When I did, my left arm was punctured with pain. I screamed out, cradling it in my right arm. My instincts told me to turn, and when I did, I saw him. James, the hunter. The orbs I beheld narrowed in both hatred and fear. The evil vampire's laugh was bustling with calamity, "Beautiful, very visually dynamic." He sauntered almost demonically towards me, with a camera strapped to his wrist. I saw it was recording.

My futile attempt at getting away was amusing to him, as he pounced on me from three metres away when I went to get up. His arms swooped over me, locking me in a suffocating cage. "Your feeble try at escaping is comic, human," I visualised the bloodlust in his ravenous eyes, crimson. "And do you know what else is feeble? Your boyfriend's endeavour to trick me," He released me from his grip. I though I'd fall, but my legs miraculously kept me up.

"It worked, didn't it?" I spat at him. If he was going to kill me, I was not going down without a fight, even if it was overly otiose.

His brow furrowed, "I was to kill you with dignity, but now I think otherwise," Without warning, he grasped my medium-length hair and threw me into a column, my head smashing into the brick. The pain, it felt like my skill had shattered into a million tiny pieces. He laughed devilishly, "Edward's going to see this tape," The malevolent fiend waved the camera in my face, catching the aching pulse on my head through my eyes. "And he'll avenge you," He then turned to the camera. "Won't you, Edward?"

"No, Edward. Don't!" I yelled, using all of my strength. He couldn't see the video, he just couldn't.

James' maniacal laugh made me worry at the evil he'd inflict on me, "Tell Edward how much it hurts." He snarled and used his unrelenting force to hammer into my shin, which snapped like a twig. All other pains, my arm, my head, were ethereal compared to my broken shin. I screamed the top of my lungs, and in consequence, James chuckled heartlessly. Oh, my God I can't describe the pain. The absolute agony. Then pain took over; blood bubbled from the gash. He curdled and licked his lips at the sight of it. I desperately tried to block it with my arm but the horrendous and excruciating torture of the broken bone willed my will into submission. James craned his neck down and was to me dry, until my skin is wrinkly and my lips crack, but he didn't. Instead, he was lunged into the far wall at tremendous power. And the cause was my love. My heart's desire had found me, with my leg trickling with blood and my eyes fading in and out. Edward looked at me mostly with sentiment, though I knew he was resisting the urge to drink my blood. Then James returned and knocked Edward with his shoulder into his ribs, causing him to crash into the floor. He then looked over him and went to punch him angrily, but Edward caught it and twisted his arm around and flung him into the wall. By this point, I could feel consciousness elude me. Edward ran over, his face indicating his strain, and kissed me softly on the forehead. Yet it was short-lived, for James had used all his force into grasping his leg and shooting him into one of the high windows. The glass smashed everywhere and coincidentally one of them soared into my side, slicing easily into my chest. I felt the pain fully, but my body couldn't release a scream. And then I knew: Edward couldn't protect me from up there. I was alone, defenceless.

James deliberately held my wrist up to Edward's horrified face. What was happening?

My question was answered. James' thorns of teeth sunk deep into my veins. Now this pain was unbearable. Even though I thought I couldn't scream, I was wrong, "Ah, Edward!" I yelled at him, pleading for him to save me. I turned to see Edward's countenance was wreathed in untameable fury. He roared, more like a snarl of extreme volume, and flew down to James. He swooped onto his head and pushed it deeply into the ground, each floorboard grinding into the demon's cranium. I knew there was a deep, violent fight going on behind me, and it sounded like Edward was easily tearing the enemy apart, but I could only see black and green constantly fading together. I writhed in agony on the cold floor, the feel of burning coursing through my vessels. "Ah!" I cried, but it sounded as though everything had gone quiet, the only noises were my pants in pain and cries for help, "Oh, Edward, please help!" I sobbed at the fact I was alone and was going to die without Edward by my side.

And then I knew I was dead.

Everything was black and not coupled with green. I was in Heaven; an angel's soft, soothing voice was urging me to wake up. "No, Esto, please, please, oh, no, Esto," Its voice was saturated with worry and woe. And that was wrong. Angels should be happy and tranquil no matter what the case.

I heard someone let a piercing scream, only to find out that it was me. I was on fire. I clenched my fists together, and when I released a cry again, the angel said, "Esto!" The cherub's beautiful tone was dressed in relief and it scooped me up in its arms, they felt very cold, but I liked it.

"Edward, he's broke his leg, cracked his rib and nearly fractured his skull," As another angel said this, a warm hat trickled over my head, which I found out was actually blood. I sobbed for a second time as I knew I wasn't in Heaven but was still alive after all of what had happened. Edward was the angel.

The latter used his long, pale finger to trace my jaw and then stroke my lips, "Don't die, Esto. Please, don't die," The boy let out tearless sobs, kissing me on the blood stained forehead and when he did, put me down to avoid the bloodlust.

"Oh, my God," Carlisle said in horror. My eyes were still closed in addition to the aching agony wreaking through my veins.

"What is it?" A pixie voice asked, and I knew it was Alice.

"He's bit him."

I heard Edward take a sharp breath in terror and disgust.

Why was nobody putting the fire out? "Ah!" I screamed.

"What do I do?" Edward cried, stroking my cheeks with sadness.

"Suck the venom out; the wound's clean enough, Edward. I'll work on his leg. Hurry up, he doesn't have long left," Carlisle then shoved my bone back into my leg with a crack, earning a snarling from me.

Edward paused, looking deep into my eyes. I opened them for the first time and saw that when I did, Edward winced in misery. Why? Did he think I was going to die? "I'm going to make it go away Esto," He then lifted my arm up to his face, where James had gnawed into. He sliced his own fangs into the exact same punctures. The pain was even worse at first, but then I felt it ease. Like someone was sucking all the fire out of me and replacing it with cooling blood.

"He's clean, Edward. Stop, you'll kill him," Carlisle demanded, smacking him on the arm to break him from his trance.

Would he find the will? Even if he didn't at least I'd die with Edward by my side. Though thankfully he did. His face was blessed with relief and his lips were wet and red from my blood. Then I heard the sound I loved the most: Edward's small laugh as he kissed me on the lips, the taste of iron and sugar riddled within.

Then I fainted.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::HOSPITAL::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Wakey, wakey," I heard an angelic and calming voice lull into my ears. I felt warm, out of harm's way and secure. The general and monotonous beeping of a heart monitor also sounded. My eyes flickering open slowly, reporting back to my dazed and confused brain that my mother was in front of me smiling with glee. I could smell the stench of bleach and new plastic, despite the lengthy tubes which were slid rather uncomfortably up my nostrils.

"Mom?" My quiet, croaky voice uttered to the woman who I so dearly loved. It was clear now I was in a hospital. So I was alive.

"Shhh," She put her finger to me lips. "Doctor said you needn't speak. You should be resting."

"Uh..."

"Your father called the moment you left, saying you'd gone and were coming to Phoenix," She was sat at the bottom of the bed now, stroking my good leg. "Then when you were staying in a hotel you fell down some stairs. You broke your leg, and lost a lot of blood."

I looked down in remembrance to what had happened.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Esto," She kissed me on the head and stroked my hair.

"Where's, where's Edward?"

"He's asleep," She moved away from eye line and revealed to me Edward Cullen sleeping (or feigning sleep) on a char with his hood up. I couldn't help but smile at him, and tried to muster all of my power to get up and hug him, but I couldn't. "He stayed up all night with us. He must really love you."

I grinned, "Yeah, he does."

She then came closer and whispered, "He's very good looking."

I giggled, "Hands off, you."

"I know, I know. That reminds me, Phil's been so worried about you," She took her phone out of her pocket and started texting, quite rapidly in fact.

I scoffed, "Mom, since when were you Bill Gates?"

"I don't know, I've just grown to love this gadget," She kissed it and the kissed me on the cheek. "Right, I'm going to go and tell the nurses you're okay. Oh, and by the way, I'll arrange for some movers to get your stuff and bring it to Jacksonville. Oh, you'll love it, Esto. It's sunny everyday and the beaches are fabulous and-"

I interrupted, "Mom, I want to stay in Forks."

"What?" Her face wrinkled with perplexing conflict.

"I want to stay in Forks."

"Okay. Well, I'll go and tell the nurses," She hugged me and walked out, smiling that I was okay.

Then I turned to Edward who looked up from his deceitful slumber. He cocked his head to the right from the chair and then sped up to me, wrapping me in his arms. His aroma of honey lathered into my nose and the hard yet soft musculature of his body soaked within mine. I sighed in satisfaction, until I realised I was crying. "I love you," I said, squinting my eyes on his shoulder.

He rubbed my back, "I love you, too."

When he released me, he stood adjacent to my frame and studied his lover.

"Is James-where is he?" I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"We took care of him. And the woman, Victoria, she ran off," He looked at me with great concern.

I closed my alive with relief, "I'm alive because of you."

He menacingly says, "No, Esto. You're in here because of me."

I glanced at the thick bandage around my wrist and winced even thinking of the cause.

"The worst part is, I thought I wouldn't be able to stop," Edward looked into oblivion, enraptured in his own self deprecating thoughts. He talked about himself with disgust.

"But you did," I stroked his thigh, which was firm.

"Esto, I think you should follow your mother's words."

"What?"

"You should go to Jacksonville. To get as far away from me as possible; I'm not good for you."

"What? No, no!" I raised my voice to which his face twanged with pain at seeing me in distress. "I want to stay in Forks; you can't just leave me like this. I'm staying whether you like it or not." I could feel my hands shaking and my jaw twitching.

"I don't like that fact; I'd never want to be away from you. I'm just saying, it's best for you," He was sat on the edge of the bed now and was smoothing the creases on my clothes, getting a little close to the nether regions.

"You can't be away from me. Ever," I said with absolute authority and definition.

He smiled and pulled me into a hug and whispered amiably, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"We can't be away from each other."

"I know that." Edward's perfect, angelic fingertips stroked my lips and closed my eyelids shit, "Go to sleep, you need to recover." I slept after the graze of cold lips folded over mine.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::PROM::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"...And that's why I said all of those things, dad," I had made up a whole new, customary story to make Charlie understand. After two weeks in the hospital and I was allowed to come back home.

"Okay," He sighed, and opened his arms for me to enter. I did so, and breathed into him. "I love you, Esto. I love you so much."

"Dad?" I murmured in a hush after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Will you always love me? No matter what I become," Only I knew what I was referring to.

"Of course, you're my son, and I'll love you even if you sprout fifty eyes," We both chuckled and got on with the day.

It was a week until prom, and all of the adolescents in the town were bustling over what to wear. I, on the other hand, were more interested in bashing Skyrim because I used that as my excuse for a full recovery. Edward and I had literally been playing video games all week at his house, my mammoth, blue cast on my leg being used as a drink stand. "So, what's this game called?" He asked, his confused yet enjoyable eyes pouring at me.

I internally awwed, "Red Dead Redemption," I confirmed and leaned on his shoulder. He took a swig from my Fanta and said, "It's fun, and that drink is delightful!"

Giggling, I threw our joy pads on the floor and pushed him on the bed which had been specifically imported into the house for me; I'd been staying here quite a lot since hospital. I straddled his groin and dug into it, seeing he'd been ready for quite a while. He pulled my head down and kissed me passionately, quiet roars of lust penetrating his lips, "Esto, I've got to ask you something."

Typical, whenever something gets going he has to break it. I wasn't going to put up with this, "What?" I almost shouted.

He was taken aback, "Fine, it doesn't matter," I saw he was joking.

"I'm kidding. Go on, what?" I couldn't help smiling. After everything that had happened and you'd think I'd be depressed, but it wasn't the case.

"Come to prom with me," Edward said it quickly, rashly. It was like when someone proposes in the movies, and it's unexpected and sometimes used for comedic charm. But here there was no humour, just romance and shock in the atmosphere.

"Prom? I..." The voice I possessed couldn't compose a sentence. "Um...Yes. Yes!"

My vampire boyfriend grinned and picked me up in his arms bridal style, spinning me around. I screamed in delight and he chuckled deeply. Secretly he let one of his hands go down the back of my trousers, "Edward!" I sniggered.

"That's a premise as to what you'll get if you come to prom with me," Like always and without warning, he was serious again. "Prom is a valuable necessity of human life. It's a rite of passage." Our eyes exchanged a look which didn't have a word in the English language to entail.

"What do you mean?" I knew full well, or did I? He was so mysterious that I just couldn't comprehend his riddles sometimes.

"I mean-" But he was interrupted by Alice tapping lightly at his door. "Come in, Alice."

I sighed, and he let me down from his arms. In frustration I walked over to the window and gazed out at the setting sun, bleeding beautiful red blood over the blue canvas of a sky. The trees towered over the house which was now lit up gloriously.

"What is it, Alice?" Edward questioned, walking over to her.

"Can I steal Esto for a minute?" She gave him her perky, half grin-half pout. How could he refuse?

"Go ahead."

"You decide if someone can talk to me or not, now?" I teased to Edward, who watched us both walk out.

When we arrived in Alice's room which was simply awe inspiring: Pink everywhere, I wondered how Jasper shared a room with her. "What's up?"

Her face was stern, imposing. She didn't say anything, just held up a piece of paper in her hand that she removed from her pocket.

"What's that?" I inquired, going to take it from her snow white hand.