Chapter 1

Your Lie, My Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"Bella, you have a visitor." A nurse in a simple white gown popped her head into my room, looking for me. Her kind blue eyes scanned the room quickly, a strand of soft brown hair falling over her shoulder as she turned.

She found me sitting on my bland cream-colored sofa, staring ahead of me at the bland cream-colored wall that held nothing but a 32 inch flat screen t.v. A game show was currently flashing across the screen, but if she'd asked me, I couldn't have told her what it was.

She frowned slightly, picking up on my vacant mood without entering my living space. This didn't surprise me. My mood had not altered since the end of my first week here. I moved ghost-like from one day to the next, never noticing when the sparkling sunlight faded to the shimmering light of the moon. Sleep was probably the only time my features showed any emotion, the visions that haunted my sleep inescapable.

"Should I ask him to come back later?" she asked me, trying to sound polite. Her frown deepened; I could feel the worry coming off of her in waves. This too, did not surprise me. Everyone worried about me, tip-toed around me, fretted over me. They all told me the same things, pleaded with me, begged, but I refused to listen to them. Lies, all lies.

Before I could reply with my generic, monotone 'no', however, a new voice interrupted. "I really need to see her," this new voice said firmly. "It's important. Just a few minutes, please." Not a request.

I jumped up from my couch so fast, the room swayed around me for a moment. When was the last time I'd eaten, I wondered fleetingly. I did not let this deter me, however, as I turned to glare at the man who now entered the room, pushing politely but firmly past the nurse.

"How dare you come here?" I hissed at him. I vaguely noticed the nurse jump at my abrupt mood change, glancing worriedly at my face, then at the beautiful god-like creature now standing just a few feet from me. Obviously worried that she'd done something wrong by letting him in, she raced from the room, calling out for my doctor.

I ignored this for the moment, knowing that I now only had a few minutes before the medicines were brought to find out what Edward Cullen was doing here, standing before me in my tiny living space, a deep look of concentration pinching his perfect features into a frown.

As I wished with all my might that he would drop from the face of the planet into a pit of fire so hot, he turned to ash before the flame even touched him, he looked up into my eyes and said, "Bella…"

It took all my willpower not to flinch, hearing the concern he had no right to feel toward me, the pain he felt at my 'situation'. A situation I wouldn't even be in if it weren't for him…

His features twisted, and I reminded myself that it wasn't real. None of it was. Just another lie, concocted for the sole purpose of keeping me here, away from my family and friends, away from everything I know and love. Away from him…

"Bella," he said again, holding his hand out hesitantly, as if to touch me. I drew back, flinching at the action I had once fantasized over. He dropped his hand and took a step back, putting another couple feet between us. "You know what you have to do, Bella," he continued in a colder voice. He took a deep breath, then added almost pleadingly, "You could have been out of here almost two months ago. All it takes is the truth. Just tell them what really happened, and you're free."

"What truth, Edward?" I hissed at him. "Your truth, or the real truth?"

"Bella," he began in that amazingly convincing voice of his, and I tuned him out. I knew it was pointless. He wasn't backing down, and I wasn't giving in. They could give me all the medicines they wanted to. I know what I saw, and I refused to lie about it. No matter the cost to me.

"Please, Bella. Why can't you just see what really happened? Don't you want to go home? Back to your friends, your family? Don't you want to see Charlie and Renee? Outside of this…?" He waved his hand around, indicating my tiny living room with the little bedroom and bathroom suite off to the right of the couch through a small, arched doorway.

I winced. I did want that. More than anything, I wanted to sleep in my own bed, talk to mom and dad outside of this monitored home, see my friends from school at school. I couldn't contain a sharp bark of laughter as I realized I would be more than happy cooking dinner for Charlie again.

Edward cocked his head to the side, looking confused and frustrated as he stared at me intently. After a moment's deliberation, he decided to continue as if uninterrupted. "Please, Bella. Think about how your parents must be feeling, seeing their only child in this place. You can make all that pain go away, just by telling the truth."

"And how does the truth help you, Edward," I practically growled at him. Anguish washed over me at the thought of my parents in pain, but there was nothing I could do about that right now. I had made my decision, and I wouldn't back down now. I couldn't. Not after fighting for so long…

Edward frowned, then said slowly, carefully, "The truth would allow you and me the opportunity to be…friends..." He glanced up at me as he said this.

I inhaled sharply. Friends? My mind scattered as I looked into his honey-colored eyes, searching for any trace of another lie. He seemed uncomfortable with my scrutiny, but he didn't look away. I realized I was holding my breath, and exhaled softly as I also realized that he was telling the truth. Abruptly, I sat back down on my little couch, my mind working in overdrive.

If I told this one lie, I could possibly be friends with Edward. But did I still want to be friends with him? He is the whole reason I was here in the first place. The last two months of my life have been spent hating him. Could I really just turn around and be his friend?

And could I really lie to everyone? It would most certainly make everyone happy. I would get to go home, go back to school, be Edward's friend… I frowned. And then what? Just forget what I saw? What I know happened?

I thought back to that fateful day almost two months ago. Edward across the parking lot, staring at me. The blue van, spinning out of control, a monster of metal barreling across the icy parking lot to claim my life. Then Edward again, this time pulling me out of the way, not once, but twice as the van tried in vain to kill me. The hand imprints in the van's body…

No one had believed me, of course. Edward had lied about it, told everyone that I'd hit my head, which was true, but still… He made me out to be delusional, and everyone readily believed him. Edward seemed to have the ability to get whatever he wanted with just a few silky words and a smile.

I looked at him, out of the corner of my eye, debating with himself as to whether he should sit or not, whether he should interrupt my internal struggle. I didn't help him out. He most definitely didn't deserve to be comfortable in my presence.

A few more moments, and I could hear the nurse from before hurrying down the hallway to my room, breathlessly explaining to the doctor what she had seen; the beautiful god-like man and my reaction to him.

I looked at Edward and spoke quickly. "Make him go away, Edward, and I'll consider it. There are a few things we need to talk about first. A few questions that require answers before I will lie for you."

Edward frowned, but before he could think too deeply or say anything, the doctor walked in.

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