One long month had passed, Cassie felt like shit as she walked along the school parking lot. She kept her hands deep inside her coat pocket as she let the music soothe away the ache she felt.

Dying was meant to be peaceful, but she felt like she was gonna burst away into flames. She stopped when she saw Edward walking away into the woods, behind him Bella Swan followed.

She frowned deeply, then it clicked inside her head. He was telling her, Bella must've figured it out. Cassie felt lightheaded for a moment as she approached her car and leaned into it.

She felt the softness of a tap on her shoulder making her turn. Alice Cullen smiled brightly at her, Cassie pulled her headphones out.

"Alice" she smiled softly and the girl looked at her with a look of relief. "I was afraid you didn't know my name, but I suppose Edwards told you".

Cassie blinked "no, I've always known your name" Alice grabbed a hold of the girls hand "walk with me". Cassie let the girl drag her along the parking lot. For being for small she sure was strong.

Alice looked at Cassie with such a deep gaze, her eyes lingering along her. Taking in the state she was in, her flesh slowly losing its color and her eyes sunken in, she really was sick.

Was that why she couldn't see her future? When Edward told Alice about Cassie being sick, she honestly didn't think much of it at first.

But seeing her now, she knew the girl's fate. She'd face death at any moment, at best maybe in a year unless she was cursed to be taken sooner.

Alice would make sure Cassie had a friend, Edward was fond of the girl even if he didn't attempt it. He claimed they were friends, or maybe just people who spoke sometimes. But no, Alice saw that look in his eyes when he told his family about Cassie.

"She's sick, she has a few months at best".

That look in his eyes, it made Alice feel such pain. She stopped walking but her hand still held onto Cassie's with determination.

She stopped in front of her car "I was thinking we ditch today and go shopping, I mean prom is in a few months and something tells me, you need a dress, and besides it will be fun".

Cassie smiled "no one's ever taken me shopping before, I would just need my bag". Alice unlocked her car "it's already in the back seat, I sorta made Rosalie get it from your car, she'll be joining us".

Cassie jumped when Rosalie appeared out of literally nowhere, she sneered at the girl for a moment before getting into the car.

"I promise she'll behave" Alice giggled as she opened the back door for Cassie. The girl got inside putting her gloves on over her fingers.

When she looked up her eyes locked with Rosalie's in the mirror. "I get you don't like me much, and you know that's fine, or you just don't trust me... regardless it doesn't really matter to me".

She leaned back, putting her seatbelt on, the end of it feeling so tough against her gloves hand. It felt like she was going to rip in half as she tried pushing it into the lock. She felt weak, tugging away at the seatbelt made her exhausted as she pushed it into the lock, only for it to tug back.

Slamming into the wall it once laid, she huffed pressing her hands into her pocket. Then she heard the click of the seatbelt and her eyes meant Rosalie's. Her blonde hair blew back lightly as she locked the seatbelt in place for Cassie.

Cassie felt like a useless child as she thanked the woman. Her words were scratchy and weak as she coughed into emptiness. Dying was meant to be peaceful, and yet she was slowly rotting away.

Her throat itched and her skin was freezing as she leaned into the car window. The drive was peaceful, of course exhaustion hit her so fast, and she closed her eyes only to rest them for a second.

Alice held onto the steering wheel tightly, her gaze looking at Cassie's sleeping form. "Do you think Edward will be okay, if anything happens to her?".

Rosalie was silent at first, but then she looked at Alice "he knows her fate, there's nothing he can do about it, there's nothing any of us can do".

Alice tapped her fingers along the steering wheel biting down onto her lip. A habit she never parted ways with. "What if she gets better? Carlisle, maybe he can help her, I mean...".

"No, we're not going to make her like us, I may not know her personally, but I wouldn't wish this life on her, she's accepted her fate, she wants to die".

Alice smiled sadly "you're right, we can force anything on her, it's best we just let her enjoy what's left for her, Edward would want that".

—

  "Cassie?" The distant voice made the girl stern awake. Alice stood in front of her, holding onto her bag with such force, it looked ready to bust. "Did I fall asleep?" she stepped out of the car pushing her hood over her head.

"I didn't wanna wake you during the drive, so I waited until we got here". Cassie looked at the dress shop with a soft smile "the last time I was here, my...".

She blinked "my mom got me a dress for her funeral". She felt colder now as she looked at the door. "Now you're here for a prom dress, I think you'd look good in blue or maybe red".

Cassie followed after the girls as they stepped inside the shop. It looked so much bigger than the last time she was here. Each rack was full of dresses and she found herself dreading the dull colors.

Her gaze found a rank in the corner, the various black dresses stood out the most. She couldn't help but walk towards it and run her fingers along the material. Her skin mended into the smooth surface as she grabbed one and looked at it.

"Sweetie, I want you to wear this one, just remember when you put it on. I'll be right beside you, your father will need you Cassie. I won't be here to protect him anymore, but you will".

The dress fell out of Cassie's grasp and she felt like she couldn't breath as she walked towards the bathroom. She leaned into the sink pinching her eyes shut as she felt the warmth of her mother.

That prying touch begging her to move towards the light, she refused. It wasn't her time yet, she had so much more things she wanted to do. She wanted to have her father walk her down the aisle, watch him get old and then one day, watch him slip away into her mothers arms again.

She wasn't meant to leave him, not until she was old and gray and ready to die in the arms of her lover. With her children surrounding her bedside.

She accepted death the day she found out she was sick, it was something she couldn't escape. Deep down she was still terrified of what's after.

Her father will be alone and she'll just be gone, a distant memory that will one day slip away into ash and dust. No one will even remember her name in a few years, she'd just be an empty vessel.

She let out a heavy breath and stood up tall, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and stepped out of the bathroom. Death wasn't getting her yet.

—

   "I can't watch you die like your mother did Cassie, I talked with your aunt and she said she'd be more than willing to let you stay with her. Until it's time, I will put your suitcase by the front door".

Those words taunted Cassie's thoughts as she walked outside of her home. Her feet felt like concrete were weighting them down as she fell towards the sidewalk.

Her hands felt heavy as she pressed them into her lips, the heaps that left her lips were muffled as she felt the drops of blood mend into her flesh.

Her suitcase laid bare on the grass as she held herself. Edward appeared with his hand touching her shoulder as she pressed her hand against the sidewalk for some sort of comfort.

"Cassie" the girl let out a weak breath as she stood up off the ground. "I'm okay, just tripped" Edward gripped her shoulders making her relax.

"You don't have to leave, stay with my family, Carlisle will make sure you're safe and healthy". She smiled "Edward you don't have to do that for me, we both knew sooner or later I'd have to leave. My dad.. he doesn't want to watch me die".

She opened her car door "this is your home, don't you deserve to be at peace with your life, in a place you find comfort in". She blinked "I lost my peace the second my father told me I was sick, I spent so many years scared I'd be cursed to leave my dad so early, my mother always told me, I'd never get sick like she did, that I was meant to live and then I got sick and spent half of my life in hospitals".

Edward pushed her door shut "please just stay with my family, let me do this one thing for you". She smiled softly "okay, but promise your family won't mind? I don't wanna intrude".

He laughed lightly "trust me, they already know you're coming, Alice was the one who actually suggested the idea to everyone".

Cassie wrapped her hand around her suitcase "you can drive, I don't think I can focus on the road right now". She opened her door and put her bag into the back beside the others.

Edward Cullen never would've thought he'd catch feelings for Cassie Lockhart. A girl who he tried at all costs to avoid at first, she was such a curious person. Her gaze was always on his family, always writing down every single detail she'd see.

He looked at her as she leaned into the car window. Her eyes shut as soft breaths left her lips. He ached to hold her forever, to never let her slip away into the darkness of death.

Deep down he just wanted to bite into her flesh, save her from this cruel fate. But he knew, it wasn't right and he definitely wouldn't want this life for her. Not when she told him, she'd hate it.

Besides, they were simply just friends and he was just helping her enjoy what was left of her life. He knew Bella Swan was the one he loved, she'd heal his wounds when Cassie would perish away.

Cassie was happy for him, deep down she knew about Bella Swan. When the couple showed up at school weeks ago, hand in hand. She knew.

Edward parked the car and let Cassie sleep while he grabbed her things and walked them into the house. "She's asleep in the car" his words were heard even as he walked up the stairs into the living room.

Alice's soft footsteps could be heard as she sat up from the couch. "I'll wake her and help her inside". But Cassie had woken on her own, she sat in the car looking at the beautiful house in front of her.

She couldn't help but smile as she pushed open the car door. She walked along the sidewalk jumping when Alice appeared in front of the door.

The girl giggled "sorry, hope I didn't startle you" Cassie shook her head as she walked inside. "Just surprised me is all, sometimes I forget you can just pop up out of nowhere".

She walked up the steps holding tightly onto the railing. "You have a really nice house by the way" Alice smiled as she grabbed a hold of Cassie's hand helping her into the living room.

She could see the Cullens all waiting for her, "everyone this is Cassie". Cassie waved as she looked around "I'm not good with names, but I'll do my best" she pointed at everyone.

"Rosalie, and you're Em....". The boy laughed lightly "Emmett" she nodded her gaze looking at the boy who sat down beside Alice. He seemed so uncomfortable and then Cassie remembered.

he could feel her emotions.

"You're Jasper and then Carlisle, can't forget your name, you work with my father". The man smiled "we're glad you're here with us Cassie, I've called your father and informed him of your decision".

Cassie smiled sadly "hopefully he's okay, I sorta left in a hurry after he talked with me". She pushed her hands into her pocket as she looked at the woman who sat in front of Carlisle.

"I don't think Edwards told me your name" the woman smiled. "I'm Esme, I prepared your bedroom for you, and stocked the fridge with food. It was nice having an excuse to finally use some of the things we have in our home".

Cassie smiled "yeah I forget you can't eat food, explains the really nice kitchen that looks brand new". Carlisle walked forward "won't don't you follow me into my office, I'll check your vitals and run a few tests before you settle in".

She walked after him holding onto herself "thanks for letting me stay here, I honestly didn't wanna be with my aunt anyways. She has a lot of cats and they hate my guts, it wouldn't have been pleasant".

She sat down onto the table, and she felt like she was in that damn doctors room. "You tested positive, you have what your mother did...".

She felt less nervous now, she knew about her fate but she just didn't know how long she had. She lost track of time while she sat still and let Carlisle run test after test on her. She kicked her feet in the air as she pressed her fingers together.

"Carlisle, can I ask you something?" The man looked at her with a slight look of guilt. "I can assume you'd like to know how long you have".

She couldn't help but let out a weak chuckle "you've probably heard that question a lot. Honestly I trust your answer more than my other doctor, you seem noble and a lot more intelligent then he was".

He sat down across from her, and she knew it was bad. "Three months, maybe four but it's hard to say". She was silent as she looked at her feet.

"That's better then nothing, I mean I knew it was going to be bad regardless. My mother had a month left when she first found out... gosh she spent those weeks running around trying to prepare for her funeral, she realized she lost her time with me on the last week. I just remember her being so calm, and then there she was, crying as she told me to take care of my dad, I found her dead the next morning, my dad he left me alone for a month and I just waited until he came back, and now he's going to be alone because no one will come back for him".

She leaned into the wall "I won't waste what I have left, I'll just keep going day by day, and hope the next one isn't my last....".