Edward

It was Thursday, and I was thirsty. The purple circles beneath my eyes were becoming more distinct; skipping the weekly trip with my family tomorrow night wasn't an option. I didn't normally have to feed so often, but being in such close proximity to Bella was beginning to take its toll on me. Her scent was too overpowering if I wasn't properly nourished.

Looking down at her heart-shaped face—so peaceful in sleep—I tugged the purple comforter up to her chin and tucked it gently around her. I could only hope she'd be OK until Saturday afternoon. She seemed to be doing well, but she'd always been a closed book to me so that was just a guess. She didn't talk much which was probably a good thing; that meant no questions, and I certainly didn't need any of those. I had a feeling that lying to Bella wasn't going to be as easy now as I'd once thought it would be.

I still met her a few times each day after class under the guise of walking her to the next one, but I knew she saw through me; I was checking on her. Though at this point I wasn't sure I needed to. In fact, if she weren't still asking me if I was going to be there every night, I'd think she was managing just fine. When I'd questioned Alice about it, she'd told me not to jump to conclusions, that Bella was only pretending everything was OK.

We'd been having lunch with her and Jasper every day. The two of them really were quite entertaining when there was a human around. I'd never seen them banter back and forth so much. We spent time together as a family, but if we were home, it was more likely that Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett were in their own houses in an effort to gain as much privacy as was possible. It wasn't easy…what with a mind reader and a psychic constantly in their midst.

It was easy to see that Jasper was growing fond of Bella, too. Of course, her captivating smile and easy laugh probably had a bit to do with it. For the first time since we'd met her, I was glad my sister had befriended Bella. Her other friend's seemed to be fair-weathered, and I wasn't sure she would have made it through this alone. Since they'd seen her with me, I hadn't seen one of them approach her a single time.

She stirred in her sleep, a deep frown on her face, and then she sighed longingly. "I miss you, Jake," she murmured.

"Who's Jake, Alice?" I demanded first thing a few hours later as I walked into the house.

"Jake?" Alice asked as she descended the living room stairs. "Why?"

"He's from La Push?" I asked angrily, reading the words in her mind before she could speak them.

"Dammitt," Alice hissed. "Yes. He's from the reservation."

"How does Bella know him?"

"Their father's are good friends," Alice said. "He was one of the first people she met up with when she moved back to Forks, and they're…close friends."

"How close?" I pressed.

Alice gave me a dirty look, doing her best to keep me out of her head. "A little possessive, are we, Edward?" she shot back.

"How? Close?" I repeated through gritted teeth.

"Jake…is in love with Bella," Alice said, her tone cautious.

I glared at her, waiting anxiously for more.

"It's not reciprocated," she assured me. "And she hasn't seen him in a few weeks. He gave her a sort of…ultimatum."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He told her that he loved her and that being friends wasn't enough for him anymore. When she told him that she wasn't interested in him that way, he got angry. And he left," she said in a soft tone. "Trust me, Edward. If they had still been talking, it would have been him she'd have wanted to see after she was attacked, not me. She thinks of him as a brother…she loves him like one."

"Are you sure she's not in love with him?" I asked, holding my breath as I waited for my sister's answer.

"I'm positive, Edward." There was a shot pause and then a thought occurred to her. "How did you find out about Jake? Were you rifling through her things?" she asked accusingly.

"Of course not," I answered, insulted that she'd even asked. "She said his name last night in her sleep."

"She did?" Alice asked as she wrinkled her nose.

"Yes," I said shortly. "Alice, why didn't you tell me she was keeping company with a wolf?" I asked accusingly. To think that he'd been so closeto her was almost more than I could handle. And all this time I'd been keeping my distance to protect her from me. Sometimes I forgot that I wasn't the only monster out there.

"First of all, Edward, I didn't know you were interested," Alice reminded me. "You've done your best to stay away from Bella since she first arrived."

"For reasons you don't understand," I shot back.

"Clearly," she agreed. "And second of all, I've been keeping any eye on him. He hasn't changed."

"Yet," I added.

"I don't even think he knows the wolves exist! She's safe with him, Edward."

"For now," I remarked dryly.

"So…will you…" Bella took a deep breath before lifting her eye to mine. She'd asked me the very same question for the past four days, yet I could tell the words were no easier for her to speak. "Will I see you tonight?" she finally asked, her tone wavering.

"I can't," I said regretfully, as I reached out to run a finger down her cheek. My worry still hadn't subsided. Would she be OK tonight?

"Oh, yeah," she said quickly with a shrug. "It's Friday night. I mean—I'm sure you…have plans. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"I'm going away with my family," I explained. "But just for the night. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

She nodded and then I heard her struggle to swallow past the dryness in her throat. "Sure," she said in a small voice.

"I can cancel," I said, my throat burning with agonized thirst even as I spoke the words.

"No," she said quickly. "That's just…silly. I can't…I can't ask you to do that. I mean—I should be OK for one night…right?"

"You'll be fine," I promised steadfastly. The insinuation that I'd be there for her every other night but this one didn't escape my attention, nor did the fact that I quite liked the idea.

She nodded uncertainly as she opened the door to her truck and tossed her bag in. Before she could step inside, I grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle tug so she was facing me. "Can I call you tonight?" I asked.

"Of course," she whispered as her lips lifted in a small smile.

I stood there and watched as she drove away, and then, hesitantly, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed information. The only consolation I had in doing this was that Bella wouldn't have to be alone tonight. Otherwise...

If you'd like to be connected to this number, please press one now.

I pressed one and tapped my foot impatiently until someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Yes. I'm looking for Jacob Black."