A/N:

Please read!

I know this is confusing, so I apologize in advance. If the last time you viewed this story and Chapter 13 was in pieces, then please go back to Chapter 13 and read the ending. I decided to stop breaking them into parts, so just go back and have a look and read the stuff you haven't seen yet. Now, if there aren't any questions, I'll just go ahead with Chapter 14 now…

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14. Confessions

Wolves.

My teeth snapped together as I almost slammed the car door. I quickly stopped myself for the sake of keeping the window in one piece.

Worried thoughts rose up from the living room at the sound of my arrival, but I paid them no mind and managed to open the white door without ripping it from its frame. Esme looked up instantly with a concerned face. Edward?

I stopped at the unspoken thought, the ache in my chest growing. As I turned, Alice stared at me as well, the look on her face much calmer but clearly a façade.

Emmett and Jasper paused in their game of chess, but Rosalie continued flipping through her book.

You don't look so-

-what's with the-

-don't understand.

I winced at the sudden onslaught of thoughts, and I tried desperately to push them away from my own. The room, however, was still silent.

Alice sat with a grave look, never moving an inch. "You left her with them?" Her mind was in a rage.

"Who?" Esme looked from my angered face to Alice's. "What did you see?" Her normally calm demeanor was broken.

"Nothing. That's the issue at hand." Alice continued to look at me sternly.

"The dogs?" Emmett laughed, finally understanding. "So she survived the vampire to be eaten by the wolves? Good job, Edward."

"Shut up," I growled.

Carlisle stepped in then, setting his keys on the kitchen counter and looking over everyone's faces. "Have I… missed something important?"

"The wolves are over at the Swans' for a visit." Emmett's tone was still joking, but only lightly.

"Oh no," Rosalie muttered as she turned a page. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Rose," Esme said. "Please don't. Not now."

I took careful note that Jasper sat in silence and, as last time, neither helped nor added to the current discussion.

Carlisle turned to me calmly. "Ephraim's son still upholds the treaty. You shouldn't—"

"That was my point." I cold no longer stand in silence. "What will he tell Bella? Or her father? He may not be as bold as to tell them the truth, but he would do a lot to keep the Swans away from us."

He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Edward, perhaps you are overreacting? Just a bit?"

I looked away from their gazes, focusing on the floor in the corner of the white room. After a moment, I nodded just slightly, ashamed.

I for one—

"No one asked for your opinion." I snapped at her, the others looking from me to Rosalie, startled.

Too bad the younger one probably can't change yet— Her thoughts followed me as I climbed the stairs quickly. It wouldn't take much from her to get him all riled up. A snarl built up in my throat, but I swallowed it with difficulty.

I realized I would have to wait until they left before I could even dare to go near her house. I paced back and forth, my movements easily heard by those below. I began to question my sudden burst of anger from only moments before.

Had I not, only weeks earlier, decided that the wolves were the least of my problems? Why then would I worry about their presence now?

The only reason I could fathom was the younger one. His infatuation with Bella was nothing like Mike's. It was too sincere. The only thing that did not send me to jealousy was the fact that it was still at a shallow level — a crush, for now.

I sat in front of the window, the darkness peering back at me through the glass. With perfect vision even in this light, I was more or less comfortable in it. It was a family joke that most of us probably did not know where the light switches were in our own rooms. I could not remember the last time I had even touched it.

Outside, everything was as still as I was at the moment. Animals knew well to keep away from our home, their basic instincts for their own survival causing them to avoid the place like a sinner on Sunday.

I smirked slightly at the analogy, tapping my fingers on the floor. My own lack of patience was starting to worry me, not to mention the rest of the household. I seemed to be acting more like a human with each passing day, the more time I spent with her.

My grin turned to a frown.

Someday, I would need to stop the façade.

-

Fingers gripping the windowsill in the shadows, I pulled myself up with ease. The scent of the wolves still hung around the property, but it was not the mephitic asphyxiation I had expected. Neither of the Quileutes that had been here could actually shift, the younger one having not reached the proper age yet, but the smell still clung to them.

I lifted the window slowly, only slight creaks echoing across the room. Bella was twisted up in the blankets once more, her face in an almost pained expression. With a sigh, I sat down in the rocking chair and breathed in her scent that overpowered any other. Fire ripped across my throat, but I sat still in my place, my eyes never leaving her face. After about half an hour, her expression changed, and her breathing deepened.

It was a mystery to me why my presence seemed to have a calming effect on her. For anyone else, it would be the complete opposite.

My thoughts kept pulling towards the matter.

I was barely a man — barely worth her time. I could not comprehend why she would waste so much of her day in my company, blissfully ignorant of the reality around her. Just as she is now, I mused. Her features had softened however, and her face held a look of serene contentment. How could something this beautiful ever love a thing like me?

Again, the horrid desire just to touch her skin filled my mind, but I did not give in. To wake her would certainly not be in the best interest for either of us. Yet, as the sun's light began to rise just slightly over the horizon, I stood to leave, the same yearning crashing through me.

Sparks would fly every time I touched her, and it did not change with the fact she was asleep. Slowly, my fingers stretched to touch her hand, my fingertips just barely brushing her skin. Her hand twitched, and her small smile faded. Presently, she pulled her hand up towards the other, resting her cheek on them both.

She hated the cold.

With a solemn smile, I sat crouched on the window's frame, halfway out. I waited for only a few minutes, watching her face revert back to a sleepy, expressionless state.

How could I have forgotten?

-

The moment Charlie had disappeared around the corner, I was waiting in the driveway for her. My thoughts kept drifting back to the night before, but I tried to focus on her as she came outside. I noticed that she did not pause before getting in, as she had done the day before. She had become confident of my infatuation or at least my eagerness to drive her to school.

I noted the sudden increase in her heartbeat as I smiled, and while it only uplifted my mood, it also made me repulse the monster I was.

I gave no indication to my thoughts, politely asking her how she slept. "Fine. How was your night?" She asked.

"Pleasant." I failed to hold back a smirk.

"Can I ask what you did?"

I avoided her question. "No. Today is still mine," I reminded her with a grin.

She nodded, clearing fighting a small smile. From where I stood, it seemed that she detested the intense questioning, but I could not help but think she might have enjoyed the attention. Because she was being forced to it, she did not have to feel embarrassed from it. Or at least I guessed this, since I had no possible way of knowing the absolute truth.

I was confidant in the genuineness of her answers, since she could not have had time to create lies with the speed of my questions. I learned about her mother, and their time spent together in Phoenix. Her hometown was a subject that interested me, just because there was still a slight mystery as to why she had come to love Forks.

I found myself a bit intrigued by her love life — or really, the lack thereof.

"So you never met anyone you wanted?" Surely someone had taken an interest in her as I had. It did not seem plausible that she had never been with someone she really felt a connection with.

"Not in Phoenix." She answered.

…We were in Forks, however. I dropped it from there, realizing it would have been better for her if she had stayed there.

I followed her through the lunch line, not taking anything for myself — even for show. Once seated by ourselves as before, I watched her eat with a content look playing on her features. Edward. I recognized the voice, but I did not look up to her from across the cafeteria. Don't forget. Make sure Bella gets home safely. With a slight nod of my head that Bella did not notice, Alice knew I had heard her. Or else.

I sighed. "I should have let you drive yourself today," I noted as she looked to me with a puzzled expression.

"Why?"

"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch." I should have remembered to tell her that, and I normally would have if I had not been so… distracted.

"Oh." A disappointed look came across her face. "That's okay, it's not that far of walk."

I tried not to shake my head at her. "I'm not going to make you walk home. We'll go get your truck and leave it here for you."

"I don't have my key with me," She answered. She really seemed like she did not want to cause us any trouble.

As if.

"I really don't mind walking," She finished.

"Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition," I reassured her. "Unless you're afraid someone might steal it." I chuckled at the notion someone would attempt to take the old thing.

"All right," She said, her expression telling me that she did not believe I was telling her the truth. I smirked in response, but it disappeared from my face as she spoke once more. "So where are you going?"

"Hunting." I glanced at Alice quickly, but my attention returned to Bella shortly. "If I'm going to be alone with you tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can… You can always cancel, you know." My voice sounded more pleading than I had expected as I finished it in my mind …and for once do something that might actually save your life.

She was thoughtful for a moment, sending me to a deeper level of insanity. What was she thinking about?

"No." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but I heard her perfectly over the rumble of the other voices. "I can't." Her determined eyes caught mine, and my heart sank.

"Perhaps you're right," I muttered. It seemed both of our lives could not be torn from one another's, and it might just become the death of us both.

"What time will I see you tomorrow?" She asked in a more positive tone.

"That depends…" Humans seemed to enjoy sleeping late, right? "It's a Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?" And savor your last moments, my mind added in with its sick humor.

"No," She said all too quickly.

"The same time as usual, then," I said with the smallest of smiles. "Will Charlie be there?" Chief Swan deserved to know who was going to be with his daughter that day. That way, he would know who to blame when she did not come home.

I shook the thoughts away as she replied. "No, he's fishing tomorrow." A content look came over her face.

"And if you don't come home, what will he think?" I demanded. Had she any idea how dangerous she was making her own life?

"I have no idea." She paused, seemingly unaware of what I was getting at. "He knows I've been meaning to do the laundry. Maybe he'll think I fell in the washer." She grinned at the joke, but I could only glare at her response.

She returned the look. "What are you hunting tonight?" She asked presently.

Her casual question threw me off a bit. "Whatever we find in the park." It was amusing, at times, the way she asked these things as if it were a normal conversation. "We aren't going far."

"Why are you going with Alice?"

"Alice is the most… supportive." I scowled at Alice from across the cafeteria, catching a small vision she had just seen, but Bella did not seem to notice. Get over it, Edward.

"And the others? What are they?"

I was starting to have trouble focusing on our conversation. "Incredulous, for the most part." Except for Rosalie, of course, who was furious.

I watched as she turned slightly to look at them. No one was talking, their gazes distant and focused on some random part of the room.

"They don't like me." She turned back.

"That's not it." I tried to look truthful. "They don't understand why I can't leave you alone." And I had finally stopped wondering it myself.

"Neither do I, for that matter." She suddenly looked shy once more, and I quickly shook my head.

"I told you," I said, rolling my eyes. "You don't see yourself clearly at all. You're not like anyone I've ever known." I was not sure if she would believe me if I said… "You fascinate me." I said at length.

She looked at me with a frown, clearly skeptical. "Having the advantages I do…" I tapped my forehead slowly. "I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But you…" My gaze shifted to her deep brown eyes and did not stray for the remained of the conversation.

"You never do what I expect. You always take me by surprise." It was as truthful as I had been with someone in a long time.

She did not look content with my answer, and she glanced back at my family once more. It threw me off a bit, but I tried my best to make her see this from my perspective. "That part is easy enough to explain," I said, looking to her eyes that were still focused on the other side of the cafeteria. "But there's more… and it's not so easy to put into words—"

How cute, Edward.

The voice was dripping with bitterness, and I instantly knew who it was. Bella sat rigidly in her seat, looking back at the blonde vampire sending her a dark glare from across the room. "Stay out of it, Rose." My words stumbled out so quickly that no human ears would have been able to catch them.

Why should I? When it's endangering all of our—

I hissed at her and she turned away, scoffing. Why couldn't she just accept that this was the way it was going to be? Bella looked to my face, a slightly shocked and confused expression on her soft face.

"I'm sorry about that." I spoke with my teeth locked together. "She's just worried. You see… it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly…" I struggled to finish my sentence.

"If?"

"If this ends… badly." I rested my head in my hands, not out of exhaustion, but just to avoid her gaze. I saw her fingers stretch slightly, almost as if to touch my arm, but she stopped halfway. My words did not seem to have the effect I had expected on her. She wanted to comfort me, it seemed, instead of worrying about all the things that 'badly' could have incorporated.

I drew in a deep breath, feeling the same torrid burn crawl down my throat, but it helped bring my mind back to where it was supposed to be.

"And you have to leave now?" She was clearly trying to keep a steady voice, but I could hear the sadness behind it that sent a smile to my face.

"Yes." Bella wanted me here, and even though it was one of the worst things for her… I could not help but feel slightly blissful at the fact. "It's probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology — I don't think I could take any more."

I had been so caught up in her presence that I had not noticed Alice walk up behind her. I threw her a glare as Bella jumped in surprise when Alice suddenly stood behind my seat, her short hair bobbing up and down with the quick movement.

"Alice." I greeted for show as I carried on another conversation with her.

I'm just saying hello, Edward.

"I told you not to." My lips moved quickly with no one the wiser to our little discussion.

The world's not going to end.

"Edward," she replied, smiling down at Bella kindly. At least… not because of me talking to her. Trust me. Now, it would be polite to introduce me, wouldn't it?

With a sigh, I gestured towards her. "Alice, Bella — Bella, Alice."

"Hello, Bella." Her smile grew wider, if it was even possible. "It's nice to finally meet you." Finally, she added for emphasis.

I shot a look at her as Bella answered timidly. "Hi, Alice." She looked uncomfortable.

"Are you ready?" Alice looked to me.

"Nearly," I said, flashing another cold look at her. "I'll meet you at the car."

Are you sure? Or will I have to drag you out—

"Go." I muttered to her, and she walked away without another word.

After a quiet moment, Bella turned to look at me once more. "Should I say 'have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?"

I felt a smile growing across my face. "No, 'have fun' works as well as anything." A small wave of sadness came over me when I realized I really would have to leave her alone soon, without a protector…

Not that I was fully qualified for the job either, but I felt calmer knowing Bella had a vampire who would at least try to save her from the other dangers of the town — if not from himself.

"Have fun, then." I caught the disappointed tone in her voice.

"I'll try. And you try to be safe, please." I was beginning to worry over her already.

"Safe in Forks — what a challenge." She rolled her eyes.

"For you it is a challenge." The modern day high school seemed to hold more dangers for her than a busy highway, and the town of Forks regrettably had both. "Promise."

"I promise to try to be safe." She said it just to pacify my worries, but it helped ease the tension. "I'll do that laundry tonight — that ought to be fraught with peril."

"Don't fall in," I said, recalling her words from earlier.

"I'll do my best."

Reluctantly, I got to my feet and stood there, hesitating.

"I'll see you tomorrow," She said solemnly.

"It seems like a long time to you, doesn't it?" And with my slowly dwindling patience, it would be longer to me as well. She nodded. "I'll be there in the morning," I assured her with a grin. My hand automatically stretched towards her face without hesitation. Her skin was smooth under my fingertips, and I found myself reluctant to leave as before.

When it seemed like I might not have had the strength to look away from her deep eyes, I started walking. I refused to look back at her, fearing my own weaknesses.

Outside, my head cleared a bit, making things easier to focus on. Alice and I had agreed to fake a sickness — it was easily plausible that we had caught the same bug, right?

Yet… somehow, I found myself in the parking lot before I had realized where I'd gone. Alice sat on the hood of the car, legs crossed with a smirk. "A little absentminded perhaps?" She cocked her head to the side.

I suppose she had seen it coming. "Are we just skipping then?" She asked, knowing full well I would not return to those buildings if I could help it. Her scent hung around the place like a cloud, and I knew that if I caught it again, I might just go back to class with her.

"I guess." I threw my bag into the backseat as she got in with a grin. From her thoughts, I could tell she was thrilled not only because she had been able to talk to Bella, but because it annoyed me so.

With Alice, hunting could be pretty uneventful, since she knew which paths to take even before we crossed a trail, but it was much easier to talk with her than any of the others. Hours later now, I let my fingers trail over the cool boulder I crouched on, blending in almost perfectly as I moved not an inch.

"Would it really be that…"

"Yes." I muttered, reading her thoughts that were faster than her words.

She sprang up from the grass, sitting beside me now. "I never said I wanted it to happen. Or even that it was certain to happen." She licked her teeth. "But, perhaps you need to realize that… if it did, you would have to forgive yourself, eventually."

"I could never do that." I felt the familiar ache in my chest as I thought of the distance between us now…

"You couldn't hurt her." Alice pointed out. "No one would be able to. She would be—"

"One of us." I finished in a disgusted tone.

Alice looked away for a while, her pale hand slipping from my arm. I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again. I could hear the sincerity in the thought, but I knew it was something that did not leave her mind for long. Her thoughts drifted towards Jasper now, once again filled with a different kind of worry.

I could not bring myself to say anything about him. I was still ashamed of the fact I was more or less the root of their disagreement.

I stood after a moment, walking calmly through the woods. I was never really in the mood for hunting, since the scents were bland compared to—

Alice followed, her mind also lost, as I looked up at the clouded sky. School would have just gotten out not to long ago, and Bella would have found my note by now, sitting on the seat of her rundown truck. Be safe. It would be difficult for her, but I held onto the hope that she would not leave the house.

It had not been a challenge to find the key. My memories did not fade as easily as a human's, and I had recalled that she kept it in her pocket. I remembered her scent crashing into me the moment I stepped in the house — it had certainly made it hard to leave.

"And where has your mind gone off to, I wonder?" Alice suddenly stood in my path, with one hand upon the bark of a tree. She was leaning slightly on it just to block my way.

"A path not unlike your own." I said, ducking under her arm as she smiled that all-knowing smile of hers.

Ah. She understood who I was referring to instantly. Her thoughts jumped, losing focus as we caught the trail of a few unsuspecting deer. Race you?

I rolled my eyes at her as she took off running. With a smirk, I waited a few seconds before following.

Perhaps I was just a little smug…

But only slightly.

-

As the sky began to darken, and the moon had already trekked halfway across the sky, I decided to spend the few remaining hours of the night on the rooftop.

Alice joined me momentarily, her thoughts focused intently on Jasper, and then Esme, as we watched the sky slowly start to brighten. She jumped from family member to family member, clearly avoiding myself. This was something she often did when she was hiding something from me. "It would really ease my conscience if you would just come out and say it." She did not answer, but sat next to me without a sound.

After a few moments, she let her mind slip, and I witnessed the same scene as before. A snarl ripped from my throat, and I turned away. I'm sorry, Edward. She put a small hand on my shoulder which I did not acknowledge enough to shrug off.

"There's no hope then." I glared at the sky. "Her life is as good as gone." With all the precautions I took… she was still doomed from the start. I should have stayed in Alaska. I should not have come back to this place.

"Don't say that!" Alice tightened her grip on my shoulder, the rest of her argument falling to her thoughts. The horizon is becoming clouded. Change is coming, although I cannot see what it is.

"Either she dies, or she is damned to our way of life." My pale fingers curled into a fist. "In both cases, I will take her life from her. I shouldn't have come back."

Alice sighed next to me. From what I can tell, you still have a major decision to make tomorrow. I can't pretend to know what it is, Edward, but it's going to change who you are— who you both are. I looked to her calming face, wishing the future could change this time. Despite what the future looks like, it's never for certain.

"You're strong." She continued. She somehow knew I would need to hear this aloud. "I'm going to love her, Edward, so do try to be careful." Her smile turned joking.

I could not return it, however. "I do already, and yet I'm still struggling." Even with her visions, Alice could not truly understand what this was like for me. She never had to worry with Jasper. They were nearly equal in their strength, unlike myself and my fragile little Bella. How could she possibly comprehend my agony?

I felt her arm around my neck before I could pull away. Don't come back too late, okay? Esme wanted to talk to you before… She had predicted this moment already.

I jumped down from the roof, making a quiet landing.

Before you go. It was easy enough to tell she was miffed that I had cut her off, but my sudden urge for some silence away from the thoughts of my family had finally gotten the best of me.

"Thank you, Alice." I felt it was the best way to apologize.

After clearing the river, the darkness of the night enshrouded me, but it made little difference to my vision. The forests of this town held such a… reclusive atmosphere that it was all too easy to lose one's mind in the wet gusts of air. Altogether, it had a calming effect, and I needed time alone to really justify my actions.

I considered telling Bella we would have to reschedule… but I could not hold onto the idea for long. To lie to her face would… it would surely kill me.

I climbed to the highest branch of an old tree, looking out over the expanse of green. That night felt like the last of that kind. Something was on the horizon, Alice had said. I believed her, like I always had, but I could not help but wonder exactly what it was.

Throughout the night, I pondered different excuses, never being able to stick with one. There simply had to be several reasons why I should leave this town and never return. Yet, this thing called love that I felt was keeping me tied to it, against my will and judgment.

The sun was beginning to rise slowly now, and the trees glowed with a touch of orange. I sat for a long while, watching the clouds part, my face set in a frown. Alice had not yet had another vision to replace the first, and it worried me. I was doing everything I could to prevent it. Why had she not seen any change? I could not fathom living with myself if I were ever to lose control with her. If I took her life, I most certainly would not want my own to continue, not that I could possibly take it myself.

I pushed my thoughts away from the matter. The monster was satiated for now — but not satisfied.

The bright, rising sun disappeared from my view as I jumped down from a high branch to the forest floor below. My movement made near to no sound as I ran. I avoided dipping branches and fallen trees with little effort. When I reached the house, I sensed the thoughts of my family, though I did not listen to them intently.

They knew I was coming before they could see me — thanks to our heightened senses. I dreaded walking through the house and meeting their gazes. Alice had probably informed them of what I would be doing today — something I would not hold her in contempt for. I did not enjoying keeping secrets from them anyway.

Rosalie shot a glare my way as I headed upstairs to change, but I caught only concerned thoughts from Esme who sat beside her. I ignored the others when I came to my room. Dressing quickly, I grabbed the first shirt I saw —

Or so I convinced myself as I pulled on a brown sweater.

Today would certainly be... interesting, to say the least.