Previously:

He was evil, wasn't he?

The endless car chase had come to an end, and they'd sat through two news programs that reported the same information. Bella thought she would go crazy when the beginning of the next one was about to air before she finally said Alice's name, and once again the group turned their eyes back to her. Rosalie's frown looked pasted to her face.

"Ok," Bella said. "I'm ready...to apologize...to Edward."

"I knew you would be sooner or later," Alice said with a wink. She stood, gesturing for Bella to join her at her side. "Trust me. You won't regret it."

4. Apology

The room was only on the other side of the house, and if she wanted to, Bella could've reached it in the blink of an eye. Alice must've sensed her hesitance as Bella took slow steps. Harsher than the final steps to the electric chair. More cruel than standing before the Almighty on Judgment Day.

"Um, Isabella, I know we're immortal and all, but I'd still like for you to see Edward sometime today."

Bella picked up her pace but not by much, and there was no mistaking Alice's sigh of impatience. This was something she would never have anticipated. What would Victoria do in this situation? Never apologize, that's for sure; Bella doubted the redhead even knew those two words. Nevertheless, here Bella was guilty as charged, convicted of an action that was based on fighting for her life. Now she was faced with the embarrassment of being directed to apologize...and to him - the evil one! When they reached the door, Bella's hand refused to knock. Alice scooted in front of her.

"Edward? I have Isabella here. There's something she wants to say to you."

Silence.

Alice's brows knitted together. "Edward, you're being ru-uuude," she sang with a fixed smile.

"I have nothing to say to her."

In a huff, Alice's hand flew to her hips. "You know as well as I do how this all plays out."

How this all plays out? Was that supposed to mean it worked in Bella's favor or vice versa?

"You're wrong this time, Alice, so please butt out," was his retort from the other side of the door.

Bella stepped back, ready to return to her cozy spot on the recliner when Alice took Bella's hand in hers and motioned for her to wait. By the look on her face, Alice wasn't backing down.

"Edward, please be reasonable."

"Alice, she had no intention of apologizing to me before you demanded it. So, please, both of you go away."

Oh no. He was reading her mind. Victoria had warned her to clear her thoughts! Stop thinking, she told herself.

With that, the angry music resumed, and Alice rolled her eyes.

He was right, and they both knew it. Vampire hearing was both a blessing and a curse.

"This isn't over," Alice said to Bella and turned back to the door. "This isn't over, Edward!"

The next day

Bella wandered through the kitchen and the accompanying TV room, bored with the repeat of hourly news. Everyone seemed to disperse.

Carlisle had already arrived home that morning. He'd greeted her with a smile as he opened the door and then removed his white doctor's coat. Bella spied the name "Dr. Cullen" embroidered above the left front pocket.

Carlisle Cullen was a doctor...of humans? How on earth...maybe this was his source of blood - maybe it was "all you can drink" from the morgue. Or he stole supplies for the family so they didn't have to hunt. But Victoria claimed they were killing humans. How could he do that while maintaining the facade of being a physician?

"How are you this morning, Isabella?"

She smiled. It was difficult to see this man as a killer with such kindness in his eyes.

"Good. And you?"

"Every day is a blessing."

"Really?"

He stepped into the kitchen where Esme joined him from upstairs and kissed him on the cheek. "Absolutely. My family, my wife are my reason for living."

"Do you know anything about your former life?" he asked. "Is your family still living?"

"I'm not sure. I don't remember too much."

This was the most she'd said to any of them. What was it about these vampires that made her feel like she could reveal so much?

"How was your day?" Esme asked him, and Carlisle proceeded to fill her in on the progress of one of his favorite cancer patients and a surgery that had gone better than he'd expected.

"How long have you been practicing?" Bella asked, still unable to fathom the idea of not only being able to tolerate being around blood but also working in a profession to heal humans.

"Over two centuries," he said casually.

Of course. He must have developed tremendous control...or fed often so he was able to perform. This would explain how he could have such a compromising occupation.

"Did you get that sketch done?" he asked Esme.

"Not really. I mean, I did. But I wasn't happy with it. So, five of them are in the trash, and the other three are headed that way."

"Are you an artist?" Bella asked.

Esme smiled. "Not exactly. I do have degrees in art and architecture, but I only design for us. Right now I'm working on our home in Ithaca."

Did the others have degrees and occupations as well? Was Edward a pianist? It wouldn't surprise her by the magnitude of his talent. He'd been relentless in his playing. The music had gone from Mozart to Beethoven and had become less severe, but while the others had moved around the house, Edward hadn't left that room.

"What do you like to do, Isabella?"

Her gaze turned up to the ceiling. "I don't know. I like books. I don't remember having a job."

"Oh, well, let me show you the library," Esme said.

"That's a good idea. You know where to find me if you need me," Carlisle said.

With that, the couple embraced, staring into the other's eyes until their lips finally met, and Bella had to look away, slightly uncomfortable in the presence of such intimacy.

Esme gestured Bella toward the stairs and Bella's curiosity got the better of her.

"Where is Carlisle going to be?"

Esme smiled the smile of a battle long fought and lost. "Research mostly. Though most of the time he pores over his medical journals."

"He's passionate about his work," Bella observed.

"Absolutely - about as much as I am about restoring old houses, or Edward about his music, Alice about fashion. Then there's Rosalie and fixing cars. Emmett and his sports. We all have something we're passionate about."

Bella's jaw dropped open as she gazed at the walls of shelves and rows upon rows of books.

"What do you like to read? Fiction, nonfiction?"

"I prefer the classics."

With a smile, Esme stepped toward the north wall. "Everything from Shakespeare to Jane Austen."

Bella's eyes lit up. There was a flicker of her old life, buried in the depths of a book. Not that she recalled the titles, but just the feeling of losing herself in a different time or place.

"Help yourself," she said. "I'll be just down the hall if you need me. Or if you want to talk to Alice...she'll find you," Esme said with a wink.

With a nod and an uncomfortable smile, Bella turned back toward the books. How had she managed to go from captive to houseguest? But then again, had they once made her feel like a prisoner? She guessed it had much to do with the gifted members of this house. Even if you took one away, the other two were powerful. Alice's talent was to see the future. Edward could read her intent. Jasper could keep her calm. How else could they be so casual?

Curled up on an oversized mocha leather chair, she was on chapter three of "Pride and Prejudice" when the angry tones of Beethoven had segued into a melodramatic contemporary piece she'd never heard before. And by the time she reached chapter six, a neutral melody with many crescendos that took its place...but at least it wasn't angry. Halfway through chapter eight, Bella looked up from the pages to note the music had stopped.

Maybe he was taking a break? It seemed unlikely since vampires never tired, but still he may have become bored. It was then that she spied a glimpse of Edward, peeking from the frame of the door, and her body stiffened at the sight of him. Was he there for his apology?

Before she could consider it further, he was gone. If her memory hadn't been so flawless, she might've questioned whether he'd been there at all, but when he poked his head in a second time, Bella beckoned her thoughts away from Edward and back to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's conversation from her book.

His brows were pulled together as their eyes met. Even irritated, he was beautiful, she couldn't help but think, her musings of "Pride and Prejudice" furthest from her mind. She would never tire of seeing his face, but before another second passed, he was gone again.

After another minute of waiting to see if he would reappear, she returned her attention back to the book. But as she read and reread the first two paragraphs, the distraction of his presence made it impossible to concentrate. Before slamming the book shut, she caught sight of him passing by the door this time so quickly that it may have been viewed as a blur to human eyes. Still, there was no doubt about that copper hair, those angular features, that muscular body that awoke feelings in Bella- the rush of warmth that preyed upon the dead heart inside her.

She cringed in regret, realizing at once what he was doing; Edward was reading her thoughts...at this very moment. And now he knew how he affected her.

Damn!

Forcing her attention back to her book, she cleared her throat and wiped away the warm and fuzzy thoughts of him, replacing them with the last passage she'd read...until he passed by the door again but this time the opposite way he'd come.

Bella gathered her courage. "Edward?"

No reply.

"Are you still there?"

Silence.

She let out an exaggerated breath. No thinking of him. No thinking of him. No thinking of him!

That was when an all new melody drifted from downstairs. This time, it was soft and playful, fit for a festive occasion. His mood must have lightened. Or maybe Jasper was throwing some extra mood control in his direction, and that was when Bella decided it was time for that apology.

She knocked at the door of the piano room and this time did not wait for his response. His figure was perched on a shiny black piano bench, commanding the cheery tones from a baby grand.

"Edward? Um...I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

His fingers retreated from the keys, and he turned around slowly to face her. One brow rose up on his forehead, and Bella took a breath.

She just knew she was irritating him.

"I won't bother you anymore; I just wanted to say..."

Those honey eyes were piercing into hers.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry...for almost killing you."

His face relaxed and the corner of one side of his lips lifted. In the space of a breath, he was standing before her.

"Do you mean that you're sorry you weren't successful?"

"No." The sight of that mocking little smile unnerved her. "I mean, it wasn't personal. I just wanted to see Alice."

"Yes, you and your wolf friend were willing to kill me and Emmett to see Alice, and you haven't told us why."

His words were sharp and cutting, and Bella hated how savage the whole situation made her out to be. And how disturbingly true. At this, Bella's gaze lowered. This time she had no reply.

"You know what the most disturbing thing is about all this?" His voice was now dramatically softer. "How...beautiful you are," he said just above a whisper.

Her eyes met his and locked, and she couldn't look away if she tried. He had to know everything by now. Victoria's plan - how she only did what she did because of it. How impossible she thought it was for him to be attracted to her...how her thoughts consisted of Edward and more Edward. Yes, he had to know everything; she could see it in the way his eyes were gazing into hers, the subtle wayward movement that settled just beneath her nose...

And that was when she pressed her lips to his, closing the small space between them. Her hands were on his cheeks, her lips moving against his as she melted against the hard plane of his chest. She didn't know what made her so daring when she doubted ever having kissed a boy before in her life. His lips were soft and warm on hers, and it only lasted seconds when she felt his absence. Bella opened her eyes to find him back by the piano bench, eyes wide and face scowling.

"Are you nuts!" he said, "What were you thinking?"

Bella backed away toward the door, biting her lower lip. Rejection blazed through her body like fire. Maybe it was the newborn impulsivity that she had acted upon. Now, the humiliation flamed worse than any physical injury. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you should be," he said, his eyes darting across the wood floor. "I can't trust you. You've already tried to kill me once. How do I know that you're not trying to finish me off this time?"

There was no way to prove that, and her gaze fell to the floor.

"I'm probably hanging myself by telling you this, but I can't read your mind, Isabella."

"Bella," she corrected, eyes wide from his revelation. Her thoughts were still private?

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, Bella. I have no idea why, and it makes me insane." He paused for a moment. "You make me...insane. And you smell like Esme's shampoo," he said quietly, "but better." He closed his eyes as though he needed to gather his thoughts but when he opened them, a new fire lit his eyes. "I must be the biggest idiot. I can't trust you, and..." He shook his head. - "I can't trust myself either because more than anything else right now I want to kiss you."

Unsure whether to feel flattered or insulted, her mind reeled from the contradictions that spilled from his mouth.

"You can't stay here," he continued, looking away. "I think you should go tell Alice what you came to tell her and then leave."

Bella's mouth fell agape, and her lip began to quiver. What had she been thinking? Maybe he was evil. Maybe he was right not to trust her. Maybe she was foolish for not pushing away the feelings that had been building stubbornly inside her. How on earth could she face him after this? She had to get out. Now.

Turn around.

Leave the room.

Head for the front door.

She had to concentrate on these things, on anything other than the wicked pain she was feeling from what he'd said. What she didn't expect was for Alice and Jasper to be standing like guard dogs at the front entrance.

"You don't have to go," Alice said.

It was obvious to Bella that everyone had heard the exchange, making the situation even more awkward.

"Yes, I do."

"You came here for a reason, Bella. Tell me."

Bella shook her head, biting her lip to control the trembling. "Doesn't matter. I just can't be here anymore."

"Bella, don't you understand what will happen to you if you return?"

"Yeah, I do. And that would be better than this."

"Are you sure we can't change your mind?" Esme asked.

Jasper and Alice moved away from the door. They were letting her go. What about having her stay for their safety? Were they no longer threatened by her? Or did they realize that Alice would know to look for her or Jacob if they attempted to return?

Esme was now before her, taking Bella's hand in hers. "Seems kind of pointless, don't you think? You and your friend came all this way."

"Maybe Alice can come with me..." she trailed off, holding onto the tiniest glimmer of hope.

"Emmett and I can come with you," Jasper offered. "We won't let them hurt you."

Bella was having difficulty believing why these vampires would care about her welfare...after what she'd done. She couldn't blame Edward...not really. Logic, however did nothing to diminish the sting.

"That would make things worse. Thanks to you all for everything. My clothes?"

Alice wrinkled her nose. "Keep those on. Yours were beyond repair."

Wow - they were letting her go.

Before another word was spoken, she was off and running. The sky shone pink and orange in the horizon. It had only been a few minutes, and Bella estimated that she'd already covered three miles when a figure swept past, stopping her in her tracks.

"Bella, I'm sorry for what I said."

Edward. Somehow after sending her away, he still had the ability to dazzle her. At least there was a look of apology on his face.

Bella walked past him. "Esme sent you?"

"No. Yes. But still," he said, following behind. "I was an ass back there."

Well, that was true. She stopped and folded her arms. "So? You don't owe me anything."

"No, I don't. You just have this effect on me. Like you're a magnet...or a drug. And I don't want you to die."

"I can take care of myself."

"You've made that clear. But, I'll never forgive myself for letting you go - for being the reason."

If she ran, she would likely reach Victoria and James, Laurent, and Jacob in an hour. Empty-handed. While the Cullens had been kind to her, none of what Victoria had told her had been disproved.

"That sounds like your problem," Bella said, continuing to walk. For no reason she could fathom, the hurt from his previous dismissal ran too deep.

"Bella, please." He appeared before her and took her hand in his, and that same magnetic charge buzzed through her. "I don't want you to go. Please come back with me?"

"You said you don't trust me."

"My family does, and you have to admit, we didn't meet under the most ideal of circumstances. It's not unreasonable for me to expect you to earn that trust."

Her two choices - face possible death from her coven or the possibility of being rejected by Edward again. The idea of being set on fire seemed slightly less painful than the latter.

She looked into his eyes, suddenly unable to face the thought of never seeing him again. Her decision was made.

"That sounds fair."

A/N: I just have to give a huge thanks to my beta Emerald Star73 because she is too awesome with her ideas, help, and support. I must also thank everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed! I was so flattered by your responses and love to hear from you. So, any thoughts or predictions? As always, signed reviewers will receive a teaser- unless you don't want one please let me know. Thanks so much for reading ;)