BPOV

As Jacob walked away, one thought entered my head. Edward. How would I ever face him? What would he say to me? What would I say to him? What could I say to him? I barely registered the tears that began welling up in my eyes as horror filled me and my stomach dropped deep, deep down into the pit of guilt that threatened to overwhelm me.

I don't know how long I stood there, my entire being filled with dread, before one thought brought me back to my senses. Edward. He didn't deserve to see my tears in addition to witnessing my infidelity with Jacob. I quickly wiped my eyes, trying to stop more tears from falling. Taking deep breaths, I prepared to face Edward.

EPOV

Has enough time passed? Did she choose him? Is she safe? Is she gone? I paced back and forth in the forest, walking at human speed as I grew more and more impatient. I did not want to rush Bella or her decision. I knew she loved me, but deep down, I had to admit to myself that she loved the dog as well. So, I was trying to give her the space she needed to make the best decision for her. I would not force her into choosing me, she owed me nothing. I did not want her to make a decision because she felt trapped by me or our engagement.

Engagement. Even in the current situation, the idea of Bella being my fiancée brought a short-lived smile to my face. I tried not to allow myself to look forward to a wedding day with her, who knows how her talk with Jacob was going, but I could not help myself envisioning Bella floating down the aisle towards me. I wanted nothing more than for everyone to know that Bella was mine forever, that she had chosen me, and that we were in love.

However, I was not sure that I even knew that for sure anymore.

I would allow Bella to make the right decision for her. I would forever watch over her and keep her safe, but if she chose… the dog, I would respect it. Yes, I would let her go if that is what she wished.

A small part of brain nagged at me. Could I let her go? I had already been selfish when it came to Bella. I had no right to interfere with her life last year in the first place. I had to right to agree to change her into a vampire. And yet, I could not stop myself from fulfilling my selfish desires. I began to fear that selfishly, I could not let Bella go again. When the time came, if she actually chose the dog, could I handle the pain?

Ew, Jake…no one wants to see that. Seth's mental complaining alerted me. I probed his mind, looking for source of disgust.

Suddenly, agony. Seth's mind filled with the images of Bella and Jacob entwined and passionately kissing. This was not before, Bella did not stand stiff and unresponsive. She was kissing him back. I felt my mouth drop in horror as Seth (and I) had to witness Bella winding her arms around Jacob's neck to pull her small frame closer to his huge one as if they were not pressed tightly enough.

I felt my eyes begin to sting with vampire tears as the dog began to kiss down Bella's throat, nipping at her ear. A sob almost escaped me as Bella shivered in happiness as his actions. I tried to block the rest of it but it was too powerful and I could not help but shudder with every thought that slipped through.

I could not stop the first thought that came into my head: how could she?

I was horrified at my selfishness. I had already decided that I would not pressure Bella into any decision but the agony of seeing her with him was more overwhelming than I had ever imagined.

I crumbled to my knees, uncertain of how to proceed. Should I go to her? Does she want me? Does she need me? I was conflicted as I considered what to do. One thought suddenly had me on my feet and returning to Bella. Newborns.

I knew that no matter what had happened between Bella and the mutt, I could not leave her unprotected. Even if she chose him, I had vowed that I would never allow any harm to come to my Bella.

I felt myself slowing down to a human pace as I approached the tent. Bella's heartbeat playing in my ears, but I did not feel the same amount of comfort that I usually did from her heart. In the air, I picked up the familiar scent of her blood mixed with salt. She had been crying. My instincts to immediately comfort her did not kick in and once again, I felt confused about how to proceed. Not only did I not know if she would even want comfort from me, I was not sure if I would be able to provide any comfort to her. I knew she did not deserve my anger but I could not seem to be able to control my pain. I was not sure if I could control my emotions in front of Bella. Drawing upon decades of practice, I tried to make my expression smooth, eyes emotionless as I unzipped the tent and stepped in to face Bella.

BPOV

As I heard the tent unzip, my breath caught in my throat. Ignoring the small part of me that hoped for Jacob, I braced myself as Edward gracefully stepped into the tent. I searched his face, looking for any indication that he had seen what happened and what his reaction was, but his face was blank. I felt my heart sink as I knew he was trying to hide his emotions behind this façade.

In a rare stroke of good luck, Edward saved me from having to speak first as he opened his mouth.

"The newborn army will be here shortly—we should stay together," he stated flatly, his voice void of any inflection. All I could do was nod.

He crawled to the side of the tent furthest from me and crossed his legs. I tried to meet his gaze but he refused to look at me, staring at the floor and becoming as still as a statue. Suppressing a sigh, I shifted slightly closer to him. Edward's breath caught but he otherwise made no indication that he noticed my movement. Taking this as encouragement, I moved all the way to him, sitting so close in front of him that our knees were touching. Still, he made no move to look at him.

"Edward?"

No response. Sighing, I tried again, this time grabbing his hand.

"Edward." He pulled his hand away from mine but finally meet my gaze. For a moment, I saw his blank stare slip, revealing the tortured agony underneath and the guilt that filled me threatened to overtake me for a moment.

Edward responded in the same flat voice as before, "Yes Bella?" I ignored the pain in my heart as I went on. I knew that our conversation would get to this point eventually and I felt myself dive right in to what could be a disastrous exchange.

"Did you—"

"Yes," he quickly cut me off. I tried to reach for his hand again but he moved his before I made contact. "Please don't," he pleaded, momentarily revealing the pain in his eyes. "I'm just not ready to talk to you about this yet. Please just let me get you safely through these next few hours. Please."

The guilt spiraled out of control; even after I had betrayed him, my safety meant more to him than anything else. I knew that I didn't deserve him but selfishly I wondered if things could be fixed between us.