I still love this, still wish it was part of a longer story.

I've read this story many times it never fails to make me cry. It's very well written. In all honesty the few parts that really get me are Rosalie getting away with what was essentially a premeditated sexual assault. It's not that I'm not blaming Edward also. His repeated need to go to parties without his girlfriend and to drink so much put him in a vulnerable position. But he was drunk. He was impaired and Rosalie knew damn well he would never have cheated on his girlfriend sober. That is the definition of rape. She was 18, and an adult who should have been charged. Like it so often happens, especially with males, he took all the blame. I am also disappointed in his parents. They should have gotten to the bottom of what happened. They apparently did not see Bella as a daughter like they claimed. I would never, ever, have watched my child's lifelong friendship and love with someone I saw as family explode and not do everything I could to find out what happened and help BOTH kids. Carlisle's talk with Edward was equally shallow. Didn't he know his son well enough to dig deeper. He cheated. That was out of character. I wouldn't have let it go until I had the full story. Not only that' he was dead wrong in his advice. Edward was the immature one in the relationship. I feel like the adults dropped the ball by leaps and bounds. Even if Bella and Edward had not been able to get back together, if the truth about all if it had been brought to light Edward would not have spent years drowning in guilt and Bella may have found some small bit of forgiveness years earlier. Alice would have likely explained what she knew also. I understand this is likely how it would gave gone in real life with many families. But, I just can't fathom good parents ignoring the anguish of these kids. Even Charlie knew Edward better, but I understand him being more worried about Bella and being jaded by Renee.

I would adore an outtake where after an evening of being around Edward and Bella, Rosalie gets drunks and outs herself to Emmett or even within hearing range of any of the family. It would be nice if she finally has to pay for her behavior. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth that the family embraces her after what she did and Edward and Bella have to live with that forever if they are together. Even if she eventually redeems herself she deserves to pay and they all deserve the truth.

I'm rereading this...familiar, but new enough again. I don't even know if I commented last time, but all I want to say now is how I know that Edward was the one tasked with protecting and loving Bella, and I 100% do not dispute that and hold him accountable. But why does no one seem to want to hold Rosalie accountable? She knowingly, willingly, brazenly went after a boy who was spoken for. Regardless of whether he rebuffed her or gave in, why doesn't anyone seem to hold her responsible, too? Think about it - if she never HAD made advances, things would have been different.

I wonder if she went through a similar inward-looking journey to come correct with herself, too, especially after meeting Emmett. And deep down, I don't care how much the initial spark might have shone for them, I think she should never have put herself in a place to get to know Emmett. I'm an adult, but that's still a whole lot of ick between brothers.

Thank you for a wonderful story. A hope for their future is what I am wishing for. XO

This is the reason I contonue to read fanfics. Gems like this. The powerful story, the development, the characters who evolve. The way you had me bawling my eyes out from the first chapter, and it never stopped except for when I had to heave and catch my breath.

Thank you for sharing. My eyes are red and sore, but it was completely worth it.

i thought that with years and getting older that i wouldn’t hate alice as much as i do. but i still do

I was able to finish the story this time around!
It pissed me off that Rosalie got away with rape, she has her happy ending, marrying a great man, a family man like Emmett. I'm guessing she told Emmett that she had sex with Edward and that's why Bella broke up with him. She didn't tell him exactly what happened. He would never date, let alone marry, a woman who raped his baby brother. And I don't see Esme and Carlisle welcoming her to the family if they knew the truth.
Carlisle is a doctor, I'm surprised he didn't ask more when Edward told him what happened, seeing the way his son was so full of guilt. As a doctor, he should've recognized the signs, as a father, he failed by not asking more questions and getting to the truth.
An outtake where Emmett finds out what really happened and dumping Rose would be perfect, exactly what she deserves. Specially since she's not showing any guilt, she pretendes like nothing happened, like it's not a big deal, she's not repentant of her actions.
Other than that, it's a good story. We don't get to see Edward and Bella happy together, but we somehow know that's their ending, and they deserve that happiness.
Thank you for the story.

Re-reading this, I'm still irritated at Rosalie not having any type of repercussions for her actions... Like everyone forgave her because it was "in the past" and "they need to let ghosts go"... Also putting a majority of the blame on Edward, whenever she was the one that initiated and instigated the whole situation with no remorse for how she tore a relationship apart...

Also, what she did, is basically rape... I love the story itself, I hate that there was never an epilogue where Rosalie was told about herself...

Bella and Edward never did anything to deserve what Rosalie did to them as a couple... She just basically got up one day and decided she was going to do this no matter who it hurt in the process... Ugh... Just frustrated with how she got away without anything to redeem herself to make it ok that Emmett was in love and marrying her... Because Emmett being the family guy that he is, wouldn't just be ok with something like that happening to one of his brothers...

This is my second time reading this story and I absolutely love it.

One thing bothers me though, Rosalie committed criminal sexual assault, not once, but twice. I would love to see this addressed in an out take.

Particularly the double standard regarding acquaintance rape. With roles reversed, Edward would be in jail.

I'm unsure about the statute of limitations on such things, but that could be the opening line of the conversation, "Congratulations Rosalie, the statute of limitations has expired, you've officially gotten away with rape. You must be so proud, or if you're smart, relieved..."

Better yet, an alternative universe where Bella confides in Charlie who accurately identifies the crime and offers to assist Edward in pressing charges. This would be particularly interesting given that as a senior in high school she could be tried as an adult with his teammates named as co-conspirators and/or accomplices. His so-called friends thought they were helping him get laid, but actually helped him get raped.

Female victims of the same crime often feel guilty and take on all the blame just like Edward. He may not have acted quickly enough to stop her, but Rosalie was obviously not impaired and had an agenda from the start, pushing liquor to get him so drunk that his reflexes were slow enough to allow her to rape him. She also had help.

Sorry for the rant. I have two children, male and female and I would be furious if that happened to either of them.

This was beautiful! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Edward's flashbacks are breaking my heart

I loved Edward meeting Sammy!

This story is insanely wonderful. I’m so glad I found it thanks to a Facebook search! I’m sure I’ll read it again and again, as well as more of your work! This is outside my usual style, and I thoroughly enjoyed how it was composed! Anxious to read more of your work! Happy writing!:)

I like that they are getting to talk about deeper things...

I love getting g this glimpse of teenage Edward!