Disclaimer: Although I would love for Twilight to have been my own concept I'm sad to say that it isn't. All characters belong to the great Stephenie Meyer.

Author's Note: Okay guys, this is my first fanfic I'm attempting here so let me know what you think. I must say in advance though that I'm a creature entirely motivated by my readers and friends. So if you like it let me know and I'll be sure to crank it out way faster just because I'm excited someone likes what I'm doing here. This is AH, canon pairings although characters are slightly OOC, M rated for language and eventual lemons. I'm only a few chapters in so far that I'm going to post immediately following this, so give me your opinions good or bad and let me know if you think this story is worth pursuing. Honest opinions are not only being encouraged for this one, but begged for, so please review! Let me know what you think!

Thanks to my lovely betawhollistic8and8hopeless and my pre-reader ms. kimberly for helping me with my first foray into fanfic. Love you guys!

Prologue

"Bella just drop it, the shit doesn't matter anyway." He stood up and started for the door.

What the hell just happened here?

I jump up and march after him, gritting my teeth as I speak. "It does matter! We could have gotten hurt last night and your acting like this happens everyday. We could have ended up in some ditch for all I know." Okay maybe I was being melodramatic but it everything was coming to a head.

I paused and tried to calm my nerves. A heated argument was the last thing we needed. "Edward what's going on? Since when did we start keeping things from each other?"

"Really? Like you never kept anything from me? How you told me fucking everything? You really want to go down that road? Let me stop you right there because it's too easy. Besides, you lost the right to question me about keeping things. I'm not the only one with secrets I'm not willing to share, am I Bella?"

Ouch.

"Secrets? Edward, I know I kept what happened with James from you initially."

"Initially?"

"Wait." I hold my hand up indicating that it was my time to talk. "I did eventually tell you what was going on. But with you this is totally different."

"You never told me because you wanted to. You got caught Bella."

"Caught? Caught would imply that I never planned on letting you know, which isn't true. I never wanted to keep anything from you Edward; it was just never the right time. I'll always regret not being completely upfront with you. It wasn't out of secrecy but out of insecurity. I prolonged telling you the truth yes, but whatever you're keeping from me is getting out of hand. Those men from last night they…" He started to bristle and pull away.

Pull back Bella or you'll lose him.

"I'm just saying it's starting to affect us; you can't keep hiding behind whatever it is that is troubling you. I wish you would believe when I tell you that I'm here for you, let me at least try to understand what's going on or at least where you're coming from."

"You'd understand?"

I nod and caress his cheek. He chuckles darkly and pulls my hand away from his face. "Bella I can't."

"You don't trust me."

"I trust you with my life, with everything that I am. I don't trust you to stay if you knew the truth about me. But I'd never hold it against you to walk away. You deserve more than I can give you right now."

He takes a step back and turns to leave.

NO. I'm losing him. Not this time. I won't lose him, least of all to his own demons.

I move in front of Edward and put my hands on his chest to stop him. His head is bowed down; eyes closed, refusing to meet my mine. Placing both hands on the sides of his face I tilt his head to get him to really see me. "Edward look at me, please open your eyes." My voice cracks toward the end and he slowly grants my request.

"Let it be me." He looks confused by what I'm saying so I keep going, knowing this might be my only chance to get through to him. "Let me in here." I place my hand over his heart. "Understand that there's nothing in this world that can pull me away from you. Not even you and your masochistic ways." I try to give him a small smile.

Nothing. He just stares back at me with the same blank expression I've been seeing for weeks.

"Nothing changes my feelings for you. I'm here; standing right here beside you. Whatever is going on we'll find a way to fix it."

He closes his eyes and leans into my touch. "Those men want us dead Bella."

What the…

Edward must have felt me tense up because his eyes open and lock onto mine. But instead of anger or indifference he just gazes at me with nothing but sincerity, and so much love that I hoping that the next words out his mouth would be a recant. Not even close.

"But not if I kill them first, every last one of them."

Maybe I am in over my head...fuck.