ｂｒｅａｔｈｅ．{ʀ. ʜᴀʟᴇ}

32 | italy

⸺ "WHAT ARE WE GONNA do?!" I yell. 

"I have to go after them." Alice rushes as she picks up her coat and texts someone in record speed on her phone. Her eyes move a little frantically, and she clicks on someone's contact. It goes straight to voicemail. 

"How are you going to sneak me out?" I yell. "And get us to Italy?" My mind races as fast as I am talking. Tears well my eyes at the thought of what she might do. I can't imagine a world where she's dead. When she was gone... I still knew she was out there. She had a chance. Why would she throw her life away? It's because of me... And that felt like a punch in the gut.

"You can't come," Alice says. "It's too dangerous."

"The hell we can't!" Bella yells, her hands shaking. The room is silent for a moment as I shush them, worried that they will attract a nurse to check on us with their loud yelling. I get nauseous as I think about what Rosalie is going to do. How could she? But if she was dead... what hope would I have to hold onto?

"Even if she's not coming back... Even if she leaves again tomorrow I can't let her do that to herself." I look up to meet eyes with Alice, and her face falls as she sees I've made my decision. "Alice, we're coming with you. There's no way I'm not."

Alice cringes, obviously going over different plans and outcomes in her mind. She sighs, finally giving in, "There's a flight leaving in about an hour from Seattle to Italy. We'd be there by tomorrow morning, when they're reaching Volterra." She grabs my hand, and I grip onto Bella's as Alice faces the door. "It will be a race, but there is a chance. We just have to hurry." She looks back to Bella and I. "Be quiet. We're gonna take the back way out."

Alice creaks open the door, and we walk against the wall. The nurses station is empty, and Alice leads us to the back hallway to take the exit for employees. Outside, the air is chilly, and I can see my breath fog in front of me, and it's speeding up out of anxiety. I lug my oxygen tank into the backseat with me, and Bella is in the passengers seat by Alice.

Alice ramps up the speed as we pull out of the hospital parking lot, and I feel even more nauseous as I sink back into my seat. What am I going to do if she's gone? What will I do if shes... dead? 

I can't even think the thought without my eyes welling with tears. But then I think again... what if it's too late? What if I can't change her mind?

.

ROSALIE.

I hated the coast, and I hated swimming. But I had to travel to the coast, and I had to swim to get to Volterra. 

I really wanted to just lay on the ground. It was cold, and dark out, and a perfect time to swim off the coast towards Europe. I had no motivation to do anything, though, not to swim. But I forced myself to do it, because then maybe.... Maybe I would join her, wherever she was. I gave up on the idea of vampires having souls long ago, but a part of me hoped selfishly to be somewhere with her. 

Maybe she was gone, and the pain in my heart would never go away, but I had to know either way. And if I would never see her again... if she would never be on this earth and there was nothing to protect her from... if there was nothing to live for... then what else would I do?

The water was warmer than my skin, and it actually took effort to swim, to make my body do the motions. But I just kept thinking of her-- of her smile and her voice and how kind she was... What was the world if not with her?

It's your fault, I thought. You left her. You left her to die. 

But the alternative... I preferred it now. She would be here. She would be healthy.

It's all your fault, I kept thinking.

And now she's gone.

.

ANDIE.

We actually got onto the plane early, and sick people perks were actually paying off for once. People letting me skip in line, boarding early, with a seat close to the front. It would be enjoyable if I wasn't crying my eyes out.

"We're gonna get there." Alice soothed me from the aisle seat. I had my head on Bella's shoulder, who was sat in the middle. 

"In time?" I sniffle.

Alice pauses, obviously not wanting to respond. "Unclear."

I shut my eyes tight and try to imagine a world where none of this ever happened. Where Rosalie and the Cullen's never left, where I never had to worry over a sick Bella, where I didn't have to face the world all alone. It was the world with rose-colored glasses. I would drive Rosalie's car, and she would help me study for the SAT's and I'd mention her in m valedictorian speech... It would be perfect. 

But things don't happen like that, and they never will. 

A chime came over the cabin speakers. "One hour until we land, ladies and gentlemen." A flight attendant spoke out, and a few people huffed a sigh of relief. The announcement only made the dread and anxiety in my stomach worse. Please go faster, I begged no one in particular. I can't let her die. 

. 

ROSALIE.

France was annoyingly large, and obstacle in the way of a clear path to Italy. I snuck into a small dress shop, and changed out of my wet clothes for dry ones. They were basic, not designer, and certainly the old Rosalie would have a problem with them. But I didn't care. I didn't give them a second thought, and threw the tags in the trash on the way out.

I walked through the countrysides and forest to get to Italy, and thought of only one thing on my way there: Andie. Her absence was torture and all I wanted was to see her again. Hug her, kiss her, be with her. 

But I never would again. 

.

okay so the pacing of this chapter and the next is so werid but i'm bad at writing big fight scenes so???

also i have terrible writers block rn so i'm glad i wrote ahead. 

hope you enjoy!

lola