[Geek]

Hugh started his procedure on Esme. We watched the horror and concern in her face slide away, like soap bubbles on the tiled shower wall. Her was a pleasant, happy look, was fully installed as she shrugged on her coat and stepped outside the club.

It looked so quick and painless. Hugh started to work on Carlisle, who had the presence of mind to look at me during the process. “I love you, my daughter.”

Watching the knowing evaporate from his golden eyes was equally disconcerting, he grabbed his jacket to leave.

I knew these were my last moments with Edward. Everything around us would crash soon. I was in his arms before Hugh started on Rosalie.

He was hugging me and breathing me in. I was trying to be hugged and look in his eyes at the same time.

He started to whisper so quickly. “Do not do this, please. Please, we can fix this, just give me a day, let me try and figure something out. Nothing Alice sees is written in stone. Nothing! “

Alice shook her head with tremendous sorrow and sought comfort deeper in the arms of Jasper.

“Will he be safe if I do this? We you all be safe?” I said to Alice, while looking into Edward’s face, trying to etch the love I saw there on my soul.

“Yes, we must all forget. But you can’t. We need you to remember us.” I nodded at her words. I knew Edward was screening her brain and flinched at what he saw there. He knew Alice was right.

“Don’t let him talk you out of it.” It was her last warning before Hugh began to wipe me out of her brain.

“Edward, please dance with me, make this count.” I was speaking directly into his mouth, between kisses.

Alice and Jasper’s face revealed the change at almost the same instant. As he helped her into her coat, I felt the loss of his calming gift. He had been working to keep the panic in the room to a dull roar and comfort Alice. I adored him right then, the pain he had been keeping at bay hit like a hurricane.

Edward pulled out his cell phone and made a quick, hurried call. Slipping the phone in his pocket, he pulled me into his back arms. The scent of his skin, the mild fabric softener in his shirt, the taste of his beautiful lips were all things I would try and replicate in daydreams so many times after this moment.

“Oh, God, you are really going to do this.” It had finally seemed real to Edward.

Emmett began punching the walls, poking holes as he went. He was furious. I thought of how much of a big brother he was to me. He was in the middle of writing the word “No” with his fists, in the wall.

“I won't leave her. I won't..” His furious voice drained away. He went to get his jacket, his anger replaced with a happy–go-lucky smile.

Emmett. Losing him hurt.

“I will never forget you. I will not. Your eyes will be with me. I love you. I would go insane for you. I will go insane without you.” He was speaking slower. He knew and I knew what was happening.

Our song erupted from the sound system. Barbara always had perfect timing. We started to dance. Edward twirling me and dipping me, just like our first dance. I smiled at him. This moment was mine. He fought against his emotions to give me this dance.

“Keep the ring,” He could tell I was planning on giving it back. After.

Hugh was standing right behind Edward. Edward stopped dancing, he cradled the back of my head with one hand and laid his other in the center of my chest.

Even though it had been dead for almost a year, I swear my heart started beating right there, under his hand. “I love you.” His three words that had forever balancing on every letter.

I saw the pain and anguish start to slide from those amber eyes. His memory was draining like a bathtub. The pain in his face relaxed, the careful, watchful Edward was back. I slid the beautiful antique ring I had only worn for a little while off my left hand. With a quick swipe of my fingernail, I removed the inscription “Forever, Always” from its place inside the band. I lifted his hand on my heart, turned it over, and placed a kiss on his palm, then set the ring in the middle, as I closed his fingers around it.

It was meant for the love of his life, and that could never be me.

Hugh took over the dance. He kept my back to Edward. His lovely baritone voice humming along with Nate King Cole’s song, “Son, you dropped that ring, I would try and keep it safe.”

I watched Edward reflected in the black pupils in Hugh’s eyes. The reflection grabbed at his jacket, hesitated at mine, and left.

The dancing stopped. The music stopped.

“He’s gone, they are all gone. They won’t remember anything about you.” The words were harsh, but Hugh’s voice held endless compassion.

“Won’t he read my mind now?” I half hoped he would, bust back in the door and refuse to leave.

“No, dollface. I am great at what I do. No matter how hard he loves you, he will never remember you. For about twenty minutes, those vampires will be a little blurry, but able to do basic things, like get home.” His rumbly voice seemed to echo in the expanse of the almost empty club.

A thought stunned me stupid, I made my lips form the concern, “They won’t lose their gifts or love for each other?” Oh God.

“No, no, no,” Hugh was quick with his answer, “I only removed you and your time together with each of them, and of course, any memory of me or the club. Everything else remains for them.” I nodded my head, I understood. I had not one clue what was next, what I should do.

“You’ll stay here, with us.” Hugh held his hand out to his beautiful bride, Barbara. They left me to myself. They knew I had yet to process what I had done. The Cullens were gone. Everything we had been through together was gone.

Edward was gone.

I fell to my knees.

Vampires can’t cry.

But they can scream.

So my screaming started. So very loud and so very long I was sure it would never stop. I tried to claw out my own dead heart. I felt the satisfaction of shredding vampire skin. I knew my soul was cracking in half, but the pain was only mine.

Before Bella.

Before Bella and Edward.

There was Sasha.

There was Sasha and Edward.

Unforgettable.