AN: This is a short story in which I explore Bella's insecurities, rather than her immediate forgiveness, after her return from Italy.

Chapter One: Emotional Wreck
Bella's POV

How does it feel when the love of your life unexpectedly abandons you in the forest, telling you they don't love you anymore? It hurts, right? Especially when you can't seem to get over them.

Then tell me how it feels when – months later – the 'love of your life' marches right back into your life and claims that everything they'd said to you had been a lie and that they'd never stopped loving you.

Confusion?

Shock?

Disbelief?

Incredulity?

Skepticism?

That's exactly what had happened to me, Isabella Marie Swan, and those were the emotions flooding through my body.

I'd let Edward explain, remaining silent throughout his entire rant. Even once he'd finished with a "Believe me, Bella. I've always loved you and forever will", I still hadn't known what to say.

Of course, there was no doubt that I loved him, too. Why else would I leave Forks and travel to Italy with Alice and save his stupid butt from the Volturi? He'd been so foolish; just because he had thought that I'd been dead from the jump off the cliff and he'd felt guilty for not being my knight in shining armor, didn't mean that he could ask for a death sentence.

Edward had explained to me that the only reason he'd left was to protect me from what he was. He'd said that he'd felt that I was constantly being put in danger because of him.

I hadn't believed it.

I mean, we'd been together for almost a year – the time I'd arrived in Forks till my eighteenth birthday – and I'd been completely safe . . . well, except for the James incident, but that hadn't been his fault.

Then all of a sudden, Jasper gets tempted by my blood and Edward immediately assumes that he and his family should leave.

Bullshit.

I knew the real reason was that he didn't love anymore, just like he had said. Then, when Rosalie had recounted the tale of my cliff diving and the funeral part, he had felt guilty because he hadn't been able to save me. Now, he felt even more guilty that I had saved him, so he was creating excuses that he loved me so that he could make it up to me.

I wasn't going to have that. If he truly loved me, then he wouldn't have left me to 'move on' in the first place.

I hadn't said anything last night when he'd sat on my bed and talked to me. I'd been about to tell him that he was lying and I never wanted to see him again, when Charlie had come up. Edward had flown out the window before Charlie could see him.

So, now I was grounded for the rest of my life and I was in a pretty glum mood. Charlie had let me take today off school, but he'd informed me that I was going to have to go tomorrow, no excuses.

I knew that they were all back – the Cullens would be back in school. Well, actually only Edward and Alice would be back. Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie, in the town's perspective, had already graduated.

Charlie had left the house late, but now he was finally gone and I had the whole house to myself. It seemed like only yesterday that Alice had sat here with me and hugged me.

The house was a mess, I realized with a frown. I set to work immediately, washing the dishes and arranging the furniture.

I stood at the kitchen sink and began scrubbing the pots and pans. While I worked, I brooded. I had absolutely nothing in life – I'd had a love; he was gone (or rather, I sent him away). I'd had friends from school; they probably assumed I was crazy. I didn't have anyone important to me, except for maybe Charlie . . . and Jacob.

I sighed. Jacob would probably hate me right now. I knew he and his brothers would feel that it was my fault that the Cullens were back.

I jumped with shriek when the doorbell rang. I'd been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't been attentive to my surroundings.

"Coming!" I yelled in the direction of the door.

I wiped my hands on the towel and sprinted to the front door before I could go temporary deaf with all the ringing.

"Jacob?" I whispered.

Without a word, my best friend stormed into the house, pushing past me into the living room. I closed the door behind him and followed him only to see him searching the whole place.

"Where are they?" He growled at me with his nose up in the air.

I knew that he'd caught Alice's scent in the living room, but he already knew that she'd been here. I stared in incomprehension until he darted up the stairs and went into my bedroom.

I paled, listening intently to the sounds coming from upstairs. He'd caught Edward's scent in my bedroom.

I sank into the couch and waited for him to come back.

"Bella, what is that leech's scent doing in your room?" Jacob shouted as he marched back downstairs. His body was shaking, but it wasn't too hard. I could see that he was trying to control himself.

I dropped my gaze to the floor as he towered over me.

"He came to talk to me last night." I mumbled, but I was sure he heard it with his super hearing.

Jacob froze and stared at me. "And?" He urged when I didn't continue.

I stood up, shrugging and walked back into the kitchen. I could hear Jacob following right behind me. He breathing was rough and hot. I picked up a plate and began rinsing it. "And nothing." I told him. "He talked, then left."

I held the dish under the tap and let the water run over it. Jacob was silent next to me and I gave him a moment to compose himself.

"What did he say?" Jacob sounded close to breaking something right now. I could hear him attempting to calm himself. His quiet words sounded forced as though he was on the verge of yelling. I didn't answer him. For some reason, I felt as if my conversation with Edward was private.

"So . . . are the rest of them . . . back, too?" He struggled with the words. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him pulling roughly at his hair.

I nodded quietly, focusing on the glass plate in my hand.

I was about to ask Jacob how the pack was going to handle this. Technically, the Cullens weren't a danger to Forks – they never were, so just because they left and came back, didn't mean that they had to start a fight. I hoped Jake and his pack wouldn't do anything rash.

Jacob straightened up with my response and glared ahead. "Stupid bloodsuckers." He muttered under his breath.

I let my shoulders drop. I knew Jacob had a vile hatred towards vampires – I would have felt the same, too, if I were the one who changed into a werewolf against my own wishes. But it wasn't the Cullen's fault. There were the best vampires in the whole world, not drinking from humans.

I let Jacob get it out of his system as he spat out an array of curses followed by "leeches" or "bloodsucking demons" while I moved around the house and tidied things up. I knew Jacob wouldn't hurt me – he had a good self–control, but I wished he would cut the curses. Hearing about Cullens made my heart break into pieces, especially Edward.

I passed the balcony and absently gazed outside. I was sure I was dreaming, but I thought I saw a fleeting flash of pale white high up in the trees by the woods surrounding our home. I couldn't be sure because my eyes were weak, but I certainly wasn't going to ask Jacob.

The thought of Edward made my heart break just a little. I was sure, even if I did live till a hundred years, I'd never be able to get over him.