The whistling gust that passed through the town and stripped it of its loose debris was not a patterned weather course. The chill that ran down every human's spine as they slept—unbeknownst to them—had not been due to the climate or season, but was something else entirely.

The unnatural storm blew overhead with as much malice as could be mustered; this was the work of something abnormal, something not human.

A cloaked figure bustled through the sleeping town, past homes and playgrounds, past offices and small factories, to an unkempt forest that was almost beyond the borders of where animals roamed. The forest was darker even than the night's glare, and the creature's black cloak. The place emanated danger and hopelessness—if a human were to wander, there would be no return.

But the being that had strolled through the town and wreaked its own playful havoc showed no hesitation at traipsing further—through the overgrown ferns; the widespread trees, whose branches ripped at a person's skin harshly— and onward. The figure was graceful, almost unbelievably so, as it crossed the undergrowth and sly plants that wound themselves around unsuspecting victims with ease. This individual, however, merely seemed to fly through them, unscathed and without deliberation.

I swept my curtains aside with a flourish. It was more of a dramatic gesture than to actually allow sunlight flow into my room, because the sun was very rarely visible in Forks. Unfortunately, today the sky was a timid blue, and there was not a cloud to be seen. The sun pulsed with a pale yellow gleam, pleased to be free of its rainy tomb.

I sighed. As much as I'd always despised the cold, gloomy days that Forks was renowned for, it was more or less an essential now.

I knew that Edward wouldn't be coming to school today, of course, as it was every time the town had a rare sunny day. This was understandable. When the sun hit Edward, his skin shimmered like glitter, and refracted the light like a thousand rainbows. It was a breathtaking effect, sure, but it was obvious why he couldn't go outside—the others may have found it a little odd, if Edward turned up to class looking like a disco ball.

I shoved the curtains shut and crossed my arms in annoyance. I hated days without Edward; they always seemed to drag on, to the point where I was almost sick with impatience.

Downstairs, I walked into the kitchen to see Charlie eating breakfast—cereal, as usual. It was a good thing that he didn't have to cook most of the time, or we'd probably be eating 2-minute noodles or microwave meals every night. Ugh.

Charlie stared straight ahead of him in a weary daze, unblinking, not yet realizing that his bowl of cereal was empty. I needed to ask him something, but was starting to wonder whether I should bother bringing him out of his stupor. I took a risk and asked him anyway.

"Dad?" I said tentatively, half expecting him not to answer.

He jolted suddenly and rotated in his chair to face me. I could see his mouth bulging with the amount of food he'd crammed in.

"Mm?" Milk started to trickle down his face and I waited for him to swallow.

"I was wondering…" I hesitated. "Could you give me a lift to school today?"

I knew that this would bring up questions that I didn't want to answer. I turned out to be right.

His eyes narrowed. "What happened to Edward?" His voice was slightly acidic.

I scowled at him, wondering what excuse would be the most believable. How could I subtly explain that my boyfriend was supernaturally gifted? Of course, even if I could, I wouldn't.

Charlie frowned harder at my hesitation, and I decided on something simple.

"He's…" A vampire. "He's not well."

"Hmm."

I was getting increasingly annoyed by Charlie's attitude towards Edward—he never gave him a break.

Charlie turned back to his empty cereal bowl dismissively, but I hadn't finished with the conversation. Leaning on the kitchen bench so as to steady myself and slow my breathing, I demanded, "So?"

"What's wrong with your truck?" he asked cuttingly.

My vampire boyfriend cut off all ways of me being able to sneak out and visit my werewolf best friend. Again, not subtle enough to say out loud. Not normal enough to say out loud. It'd have Charlie rushing me to a mental hospital, quick smart.

"It's acting up."

"I can fix it," Charlie offered.

"It's alright," I assured him quickly, "Edward said he'd repl—umm, take a look at it for me."

Charlie shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine."

It was going to be a long day.

"Bella!"

I heard Mike's voice as I was clambering gratefully out of Charlie's patrol car. It wasn't the most inconspicuous of vehicles, that was for sure, and I hated having to be driven to school in it.

I turned to face Mike as he continued to yell my name enthusiastically.

I'd always affiliated Mike's personality with a golden retriever—happy, friendly, and always over-eagerly willing to help. For the first ten months or so following my arrival in Forks, he had relentlessly exhibited this behaviour. However, when Edward left, and I became a shell of a human being, I not only lost contact with Mike—even though I saw him everyday; I was in too much emotional pain to socialise—but every one of my friends. And when I finally pulled myself together, convinced myself to permanently evict my mind zombie—who had been kindly staying put—and put a weak, but reassuring smile on my face, Mike, and most of my other friends, were only too glad to forgive me.

But when Edward returned, so did Mike's hostility, and I'd assumed that this was a final notion. Apparently, I was wrong.

His eyes were brighter than they usually were when he looked at me these days; his whole being exuberated happiness. I raised an eyebrow in question and smiled timidly at him. You can never really tell with Mike.

He stopped in front of me, grinning and gasping for breath. "Hey!"

"Um, hi, Mike," I said; friendly, but with a tinge of apprehension in my voice. "What's up?"

"I heard that Edward wasn't coming today," Mike said, ignoring my question. He tried to drop the smile from his features, but his glee was badly concealed.

Feeling a little suspicious, I frowned. "Who told you that?"

A crease formed between Mike's eyebrows, as if he was worried that his information was wrong. "Edward did. He was going to help me fix my car."

Realisation dawned on me; all my suspicions disappeared. Of course—Edward had been putting effort into getting on good terms with Mike.

"That's right," I said, trying to smile. "I forgot."

Again, he ignored me. "Listen," his voice slid from his normal, friendly yell, to a low whisper. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh?"

I glanced around the parking lot. Thanks to Charlie's strict work mornings, I had arrived to school ridiculously early. Mike's Suburban was the only car there.

"Yes," Mike bobbed his head. "It's about… the Cullens."

I sucked in a large amount of air. This couldn't be good. Maybe Mike hadn't forgiven me after all; maybe he only wanted to get the newest gossip on the town's weirdest family.

Mike didn't seem to notice my stiffened body stance. His eyes glinted eagerly.

"Well," he continued, staring at a point over my left shoulder in concentration, "don't you think that it's a little bit… odd?"

"Odd?" I repeated; my stomach twisted with dread.

"Their reappearance!" he pressed keenly.

It was clear to me that he'd waited until Edward wasn't with me to bring this up. I could tell by the urgency in his voice that he'd wanted to discuss this for a while.

"How they just… came back, I mean." Mike looked at me, all friendliness gone, as if he thought I knew the answer.

I dropped my gaze and nudged a rock with my foot.

"Th-they didn't like New York, remember, Mike?" I stammered, starting to feel uncomfortable.

Mike twisted one of the sides of his lips up thoughtfully, and then shook his head. I swore, mentally.

"I don't think they were in New York, Bella."

"Of course they were!" I said sharply, letting my voice rise a few octaves.

The conversation's purpose was becoming clearer, and it hurt me slightly to know that Mike hadn't really wanted to talk to me, after all.

"Of course they were," I repeated, my voice not wavering this time.

He scowled. "Right."

I glared at him. "What's so unbelievable about it, then?"

Mike seemed to have expected this, like he'd lined up his whole side of the conversation days ago.

"For one," he said slowly, "you always have this weird grimace every time someone asks Edward or Alice about it." He paused. "Oh, and when you were at work the other day, I heard you arguing with your dad over the phone. Did you really disappear to New York for three days, Bella?" He rolled his eyes.

My mouth fell open. Mike was more perceptive than I'd thought, and it bothered me.

Suddenly, Mike's tone turned from fervent to concerned.

"Are you two… together?" he asked me, ignoring my horrified expression.

What?! Replacing shock with fury, I stared up at his usually-joyful face with the most indignation I could muster.

"Not that it's any of your business," I fumed, "but yes!"

Mike clenched his jaw, sensing my anger.

"How could you forgive him, Bella?" he asked me sadly.

I stared straight ahead and refused to acknowledge his question.

"I mean it, Bella! He hurt you so much, why would you let him get away with that?"

"Stop it, Mike," I mumbled. "Don't even start."

And just like that, he was shouting at me.

"For God's sake, Bella! Stop being so protective of him! What's so good about him that's worth it? He shattered you—I saw that! He hurt you and then ran off to God-knows-where, and he left you here by yourself, completely miserable, while he was in a different part of the country! He didn't even call to make sure you're okay! And then months later, he dares to come back here—he dares to show his face—and you forgive the guy!?" Mike stopped abruptly, and breathed in. "It's really pretty pathetic of you."

I recoiled. My breathing quickened and my eyes filled with tears. I fought to keep them from spilling out and showing him how much he'd just hurt me—and it wasn't just what he'd said, but it reflected the way someone else thought, as well.

My throat croaked when I tried to say something, and so I gave up, turned on my heel and sprinted away. I needed to escape from Mike's words.

"Bella!" he yelled. I ignored him and continued to run.

I ran past the office and through the school, until I couldn't hear him yelling anymore. I forced my way into an empty classroom and slumped to the ground, finally letting my emotions overcome me.

I'd managed to avoid Mike for the rest of the day. Every time he would swivel in his chair in class, or try to catch me between lessons, I would ignore him and turn my head away coldly. I couldn't find words for what I felt, and I wouldn't let him see how much his speech had fuelled my insecurities, and sparked memories of a previous conversation I'd had with someone I cared for a whole lot more.

At lunch, I talked to Angela and Ben, and took no notice to the eyes that never left my face. I didn't catch his expression, because I never met his gaze, but I knew it was one of scrutiny and curiosity. I glared out at the sun and flawless blue sky accusingly. This wouldn't have happened if Forks had stuck to its normal weather. Not if Edward had been here.

Eventually—after the impossible length of time I'd expected—the school day had ended, and I was forced to walk home, still infuriated over what had happened earlier that morning.

My angry steps thudded against the pavement and my hands were balled into fists.

People driving past me in the street glanced at me briefly through their car windows, before I was lost from their view.

When I arrived at home, I was slightly calmer. Time had helped me talk sense into myself. It also helped that the aging sky was now a greyer shade than before, and would soon enough sink into the beautiful nothingness of night. I would see Edward soon, and the thought of him being here instantly pushed all previous hurt from my mind.

I finished my Biology homework and started dinner to occupy my mind. If it wavered from thoughts of seeing Edward, I knew who it would linger on. I couldn't think of them—wouldn't—tonight. I'd managed to spend a whole week without pausing to reflect on what I was going to do about Jacob, and the argument with Mike wasn't going to ruin that.

"How was your day, Bells?" Charlie called from the doorway.

Hm. He seemed to be in a better mood.

"Fine." I stabbed the sauce I was stirring with a wooden spoon as I said it, and it spat out at me, leaving my face covered in tomato-y goo. "Ergh."

"Sure you're okay?" Charlie had noticed my violence directed at the food.

"Yeah," I sighed, "it's nothing."

I prayed that he would leave it at that; I was in no way on good enough terms with Charlie at the moment to discuss anything that affected my emotions. If I did, I'd probably lose it completely. Charlie wouldn't even see it coming.

There was only one person I wanted to talk to tonight.

Charlie raised one of his eyebrows in disbelief, but sensing my obvious hostility, he merely harrumphed and sat on the couch. He switched on the TV and was soon lost to the world of reality. Thank God.

That is, until the doorbell rang. I jerked my head up, hope rushing through me, and dropped the paper towel I'd been wiping my face with. My heart leapt.

Charlie wrenched his eyes reluctantly from his football game, and grumbled something incoherent.

I skipped to the entranceway and pulled the door open eagerly, grinning.

He was standing there, smiling back. I ran my eyes across his face longingly—his liquid, caramel eyes, pale skin—radiating in the moonlight—, his mouth, twisted upward crookedly in my favourite smile, and his angled jaw. His bronze, usually perfect-looking hair was slightly more ruffled, as if he'd been running his hands through it for most of the day.

"Hi," I said softly. It always took my breath away, seeing him. He was… beyond the definition of perfect.

Edward reached forward and hugged me tightly, protectively. I saw something flash in his hand briefly before his arm wrapped around me. We stood there for a long moment, but eventually Charlie coughed pointedly, and he let me go.

Once again, I looked at his hand.

"New phone?" I queried.

He smirked, obviously knowing something I didn't. "Alice rang me on the way here. She… saw something."

I tilted my head to the side, wondering. Alice's visions were usually interesting.

"Charlie's going to throw something at you?" I guessed.

Edward laughed. "No…" He looked past me to see Charlie glaring at him from the couch. "He's thinking about it, though."

I was, as usual, glad to be the exception to Edward's mind-reading talent. I wanted to avoid the topic of whom I'd like to throw something at.

"So what is it?" I asked impatiently.

Edward's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but the knowing smile didn't leave his lips. "Why am I going to be confronting Mike Newton tomorrow?"

Dammit! I gulped. Edward scrutinised the unwilling expression on my face. His smile faded.

"What did he say?" He clenched his jaw together.

I trembled. "Don't worry about it." My eyes were pleading.

"Bella." He lifted my chin up, and I could see the worry flash in his eyes.

"I-it's nothing," I said, attempting confidence and failing dismally.

A hiss escaped his lips, and his posture tensed.

"He hurt you?" Edward asked me.

I shook my head. "No… no, he just…"

"Said something?"

"Yeah… well, sort of. It was more what he implied."

"What?" He let out a low sigh. "Sometimes I hate that I can't see what you're thinking."

"Sometimes?" I was surprised. I'd figured that Edward had always partly resented me for being the exception to the rule.

"Well…" He paused and looked thoughtful. "Relationships are built on trust. How would I learn to trust you, when I could read your every thought? I wouldn't have to! And how would you trust me?"

"I guess that makes sense."

"So now," he leaned forward and gazed into my eyes, "I trust you to tell me what Mike said to you."

I cringed. I couldn't resist Edward's gaze.

"He said… that it was pathetic of me to forgive you for leaving, and that you didn't deserve it."

Edward leaned back, surprised. "That's it?"

I frowned. Of course Edward would think it melodramatic of me to be upset, but part of me had wished he'd seen why that was. I wasn't going to mention Jacob's name.

I decided to tell part of the truth. "I feel like he was thinking a bit more than just that," I said carefully. "It was like… he was saying I was a bad friend to him, for forgiving you."

I scowled into the motionless darkness behind Edward, spotting his silver Volvo, and the barely distinguishable forest beyond the road.

"Would you like me to set him straight?" Edward said lightly.

I looked at my feet. "No, don't worry."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, alright." He smiled again, and stroked my hair, reassuring me. I smiled back, glad that that part of the conversation was over.

"So, can I come in now?" Edward flashed his teeth, laughing. "Or were you planning to stay out here all night?"

"I wasn't, but you can," I teased. "Charlie might like that."

We both walked into the house, my arm around his waist, and Charlie looked up again from the television. His gaze was disapproving.

"Hello, Edward," he muttered bitterly. "Feeling better, I take it?"

"Yes, thankyou, Charlie," Edward replied politely. I looked up at him and smiled in amazement. After the way Charlie treated Edward, he still maintained his charm.

We stayed downstairs for a while—knowing that Edward was here, Charlie wasn't going to let me out of his sight for a second—and talked. I was amazed at how much I'd truly missed Edward; after all, it had been less than twenty-four hours since I'd seen him last. He told me about his incredibly boring day, and how he'd wished that he could see me, but instead, he and Alice had played blackjack. Edward made a face. It wouldn't be much of a game for them, come to think of it: with Edward's mind-reading, he'd know what cards Alice would have, and Alice would use her predictions to see what cards she'd pick up. I laughed at the thought.

At nine-thirty, Edward and I put Charlie under the pretence that we fully intended to abide by his curfew. We acted out our goodbyes at the door, and then I said goodnight to Charlie and went up to my room.

He was there, waiting, as always. We talked further into the night—quietly, so as to not arouse suspicion—, and then I reluctantly fell asleep in his arms. Sometimes I felt guilty falling asleep and leaving him lying there with nothing to do. Vampires couldn't sleep, and so he spent most nights watching me, and thinking. I couldn't imagine it being especially entertaining for him.

But when I woke up, he was still there, having not moved at all. I smiled instantly when I saw him—it was the best way to wake up. Dazed, I yawned, and he released me from his cradling arms and stood up.

"I'll pick you up in an hour," he promised, and jumped out the window silently. And he was gone. I looked out the window for a moment, wistful, and then started getting ready.

An hour passed, and when I was rinsing the dishes from breakfast, I heard the doorbell ring. Charlie scowled at me. I ignored him.

"Bye!" I called. He didn't answer. I didn't really care.

I flung the door open and laughed when Edward was already in the car. He was grinning at me. I hopped into the passenger's seat, and looked forward to another speedy ride to school. Edward loved driving fast, so much that I almost feared for my life. But I didn't—I'd learned to trust his driving, and his insanely fast reflexes.

"Looking forward to today?" Edward asked me with his eyes on the road.

"Wh—?" I was confused, but then it clicked. He was worried about what had happened yesterday. "Oh. I guess."

He looked almost pained at my reaction. "I really think I should talk to him."

"No!" I exclaimed. "Don't, honestly!"

Edward glanced at me, suspicion creeping up his face. "Is there something I don't know about this, Bella?"

I knew I had to tell him; it was unavoidable now. I was going to tell him the whole truth, and that would be that. No more talking about it.

"What Mike said… it reminded me of… Jacob." I winced.

I saw Edward's hands shake on the steering wheel for a split second, and shock flit across his eyes, but he regained himself and breathed through his nose.

"I see…" His eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no," I said, distressing. I didn't want him to be angry at me. "Forget I said it!"

"No. You meant it. You had every right to say it."

"I'm trying, Edward, I really am," I said, honestly.

He glanced at me again, and this time, he smiled weakly. "I know."

When we arrived at school, the parking lot was almost full. But of course, Edward managed to find a space. He always did.

As we walked past Rosalie's convertible, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he hugged me with one of his arms. We strolled to our first class together, and past everyone to our table at the back. I lolled my head against his shoulder as the teacher droned on in a monotone. Suddenly, the arm that Edward had resting on my shoulder tensed. I looked at him questioningly, and saw his eyes fixated on something in front of us. I followed his gaze, and met Mike's glowering stare.

"Don't worry, don't worry," I repeated again to Edward quietly. His jaw clenched, and he looked down. Mike turned around.

When the class finally finished, the two of us hurried to our next lesson. I was glad that I had so many with Edward, because the thought of facing Mike alone almost scared me. It was incredibly stupid of me, to be honest. This was Mike! Friendly, overly-happy Mike. At least… that's who he used to be.

At lunch, Edward sensed my reservation and nudged me gently. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine," Alice assured him when I returned from my daze. "I get that all the time."

"She isn't getting premonitions, Alice," Edward reminded his sister.

"Oh, yeah."

"I am fine," I told him quietly.

"By the way," Alice cut into the meaningful silence—she'd seen it all anyway, of course—, "I think that you two might be meeting up with the werewolf later today. All I know is, you've suddenly disappeared…" she trailed off bitterly.

I jumped in shock, but Edward's eyes had narrowed several seconds before Alice had said anything. He'd heard her thoughts, and they shared a disgusted look.

"W-what? Are you serious, Alice?" I exclaimed. Jacob was coming to see me? That couldn't be right. Last time… I bit my lip. Last time hadn't ended so well. I pictured the painful expression on Jacob's face; that was the last thing I could remember.

"Of course I'm serious," she said incredulously. "The stupid dog makes my mind go blank. It's beyond annoying." She pretended to pout. Edward chuckled.

My mind began to spiral out of control, and before long I was thinking intensely about those things I had banished from my mind. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob…It almost pained me to remember him. How much I'd hurt him, and how much I missed him.

Before I knew it, I was in my last class for the day, next to Edward. It startled me—how had I not noticed physically walking to the lesson? And then the bell rang, and we were walking outside, Edward and I. He was brooding, his mind on something just as consuming.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. He turned to me, still thinking.

"I know what the dog wants."

I winced at the tone and name he'd used when describing Jacob, but I supposed it was only fair. What had Jacob called him? Blood-sucker, leech, parasite… I frowned. The rivalry between wolves and vampires was ridiculous.

"Well?"

Edward's shoulders slumped slightly; I could tell he was upset.

"He wants to… tell you something."

"Which is…?" I persevered.

"Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," he muttered. I let my mouth fall open unhappily. Part of me hoped Jacob wouldn't turn up. It made Edward feel so… doubtful of me.

We were in his car now, driving down my street. Edward was driving even faster than usual, restless in meeting Jacob. But when we reached my house, he wasn't there.

All of a sudden, another car came screeching around the corner, coming closer and closer to us. Its tires squealed in complaint, and the smell of burning rubber lingered where the tar had acquired dark lines from the car's friction. Edward gasped in horror, and suddenly I recognised the car: Rosalie's convertible. I didn't know how it had taken me so long to realise; it was hardly unnoticeable. I saw Alice at the wheel in the rear-view mirror. Suddenly I realised why Rosalie's car had even been at school today—she, Emmett and Jasper had been seniors last year, they didn't go to school anymore.

Alice continued waving frantically at us, a look of fear tightening her features and making her eyes look crazy. Edward leapt out of the car and, before I could see him move, was at my door, opening it and helping me out. Alice skidded to a stop, and we all winced at the screeching sound.

"Bella!" Alice cried loudly, running towards me. I glanced up at Edward—his face was like stone. I couldn't read his expression, but I knew that it wasn't good. Edward nodded at Alice, apparently giving her the okay to tell me.

"Victoria is coming."

But before I had time to gasp in horror, an ear-splitting scream came from the forest. We all turned, wide-eyed. I knew that scream. I knew that voice.