The walk back to the Cullens' house felt longer than it should have.
The forest path was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed against your ears until your own thoughts grew too loud. Fallen leaves crunched under my shoes with every step, the sound sharp and out of place in the stillness. Edward had disappeared in the opposite direction without a word, moving so fast he might as well have dissolved into the trees. One second he was there, shoulders tense and jaw locked, and the next he was gone.
I stood there for a moment after he left, staring at the space he had occupied, my chest tight.
Damn it, Edward.
By the time the Cullens' house came into view, the anger had drained out of me, replaced by something heavier. Something closer to exhaustion. The large glass walls reflected the gray sky above, making the place look colder than usual, despite the warmth I knew waited inside.
I knocked.
The door opened almost immediately. Esme stood there, hands folded loosely in front of her, her posture hopeful in a way that made my stomach twist.
Her eyes searched my face.
"Well?" she asked softly.
I swallowed and shook my head. "I couldn't convince him."
Her shoulders sagged, just a little, but enough that I noticed. It was subtle, the kind of movement most people would miss, but it hit me like a punch to the ribs. She forced a small smile, nodding as if she had expected this outcome all along.
"I see," she said gently. "Thank you for trying, Mike. Truly."
I stepped inside, the door closing behind me with a quiet click.
Alice appeared almost instantly, like she always did, eyes bright but cautious. She took one look at my expression and sighed.
"Yeah," she said. "That tracks."
"I'm sorry," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I really thought I could get through to him."
"You did," she replied quickly, stepping closer. "Just not in the way we wanted. Edward hears things. He just chooses what to listen to."
Carlisle stood a few steps back, arms crossed loosely, his expression calm but heavy. He inclined his head toward me.
"You did more than most would," he said. "Edward values your opinion, even if he does not always show it."
Emmett leaned against the staircase railing, arms folded, his usual grin nowhere to be found. He huffed out a breath.
"He's being an idiot," he muttered. "A noble idiot, sure, but still an idiot."
Rosalie said nothing. She stood near the window, staring outside, her reflection faintly visible in the glass. Jasper lingered close to Alice, one hand resting lightly at her back, his expression unreadable.
And Esme.
I couldn't stop looking at her.
She moved quietly through the room, straightening something that did not need straightening, smoothing a pillow that was already perfect. Her eyes were downcast now, her lips pressed together as if she were holding something in. Worry, maybe. Or fear.
They do not have a soul.
The thought hit me again, just as hard as it had in the forest.
I watched her for a moment longer, my chest tightening. If someone had told me that this woman was soulless, I would have laughed in their face. The way she looked at her family, the way she radiated care and concern, it made no sense. None at all.
If that was what being soulless looked like, then the word had lost all meaning.
Alice broke the silence, her voice light but sincere. "Hey. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay? You did what you could. Edward's been stubborn since 1918."
That earned a weak snort from Emmett.
I managed a small smile, though it felt forced. "Yeah. Guess I walked into that one."
She stepped closer and reached out, squeezing my arm. "Thank you for trying anyway. It means more than you know."
I nodded, suddenly feeling very tired.
"I should probably head out," I said. "Give you all some space."
Carlisle inclined his head again. "You are always welcome here, Mike."
"Yeah," Emmett added. "Even when you are delivering bad news."
Esme finally looked up at me, her eyes soft, sad, and kind. "Take care of yourself," she said. "And thank you. From all of us."
My throat tightened. I nodded once, afraid that if I spoke, something embarrassing might come out instead.
I left shortly after, the door closing quietly behind me.
The cold air outside hit my face, sharp and grounding. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and started walking to my car. My thoughts felt tangled, messy, and wrong.
Edward was leaving.
Bella was going to be hurt.
And somehow, knowing that the people I had just spoken to were supposed to be soulless made me feel worse, not better.
I exhaled slowly, breath fogging in front of me.
I felt like shit.
And no amount of logic seemed capable of fixing that.
…
I didn't hesitate.
As soon as I left the Cullens' house, I got into my car and drove straight toward Bella's place. The engine's low hum did nothing to calm my thoughts. My hands gripped the steering wheel harder than necessary as the trees blurred past, my mind replaying everything that had gone wrong.
I knew how this was supposed to happen if no one warned her. Edward would leave her in the middle of the forest, lost and emotionally broken.
And I refused to let that be her reality.
Bella's house was quiet when I pulled into the driveway. No lights were on inside, except for one upstairs. Charlie's cruiser wasn't there. Relief and dread tangled in my chest as I shut off the engine and stepped out into the cool evening air.
I knocked.
After a moment, the door opened, and Bella stood there, wearing an oversized sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders. She looked tired, but she smiled when she saw me.
"Hey, Mike," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Can we talk?" I asked. "Somewhere private."
Her smile faded just a little. She nodded and stepped aside. "Yeah. Come in."
The house felt emptier than usual. Too quiet. She led me to the living room and sat on the couch, folding her legs beneath her. I stayed standing for a second, trying to gather the courage to say what I came here to say.
She watched me closely. "You look serious."
"I went to see Edward," I said.
Her face brightened immediately. "You did? How is he?"
That was the moment I wished I could lie.
"Not good," I said softly.
Her shoulders tensed. "What do you mean?"
I sat down across from her, leaning forward, my hands clasped together. "Bella, I need you to know that I'm telling you this because I care about you. I don't want to hurt you."
Her lips pressed together. "Just tell me."
I took a breath. "Edward is planning on leaving."
The words landed hard.
She stared at me, unblinking, as if her brain hadn't caught up yet. "Leaving," she repeated quietly. "Leaving where?"
"Forks," I said. "You."
Her head shook, slow and disbelieving. "No. He wouldn't do that. He promised me."
"I know," I said quickly. "I reminded him of that. I tried to convince him to stay."
Her eyes locked onto mine. "Tried?"
"I went for a walk with him," I explained. "I told him you'd be safer with him here. That leaving you would hurt you more than staying ever could."
I hesitated before adding, "I don't think it worked. I think I might have made things worse."
Her hands curled into the fabric of her sweater. "Worse how?"
"He's convinced he doesn't deserve you," I said. "That loving you puts you in danger. Nothing I said could change his mind."
Her breath hitched. She looked down at her lap, blinking rapidly. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"So he's just going to disappear."
"I don't know exactly when," I said. "But soon. I didn't want you to be blindsided. I didn't want him to leave you without warning."
Her shoulders began to shake. Tears spilled over despite her obvious effort to hold them back. She wiped at her cheeks angrily, like she was frustrated with herself for crying.
"I knew it," she whispered. "I knew something was wrong."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I really tried."
She shook her head and looked up at me, eyes red and shining. "This isn't your fault."
She swallowed hard. "Thank you for trying anyway."
That hurt more than anything else she could have said.
"I just didn't want you to get hurt," I replied.
She let out a quiet, broken sound that wasn't quite a laugh. "Too late."
I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her, careful but firm. She froze for half a second, then leaned into me, clutching my jacket as the tears finally broke free.
Her sobs were quiet, but they shook her whole body. I held her, one hand resting gently against her back.
"You're not alone," I said softly. "No matter what he does, you're not alone."
She didn't answer. She just cried, and I stayed there with her, wishing I had been strong enough to change the outcome.
Wishing that I never learned what I did, that I never offered Edward to prove he had a soul…
…
(Kind of lost motivation to write this fanfic. Will keep doing it out of duty, but idk, I'm not enjoying it as much anymore.)