A knock from downstairs woke me from my sleep. I lifted my eyes and glanced at the clock. It was six at night, who the hell turns up at this time, and in the rain too?

The knocking continued. Groaning, I moved my legs and trudged down the stairs while trying to tame the bird nest on top of my head. Not bothering to check the peep hole, I swung the door open to reveal a very wet and very annoyed Jacob.

I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep myself from laughing at him. I opened the door wider as a gesture to come inside, and he did, creating a pool of water on the floor.

"Stay here," I ordered while I ran to get a towel for him. When I returned I noticed he had pulled out the contents of his school back pack and littered them on the floor.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Don't make yourself too comfortable, I'm not really in the mood for visitors today."

"Well sorry princess," he said exasperated, "but in case you haven't noticed, our art assignment is due at the end of next week and the only thing that is completed is the essay we did those lunchtimes earlier in the term."

And that is how I spent the remainder of my weekend. Not curled up with a rug and a hot chocolate reading my new books while listening to the rain patter on the window. No, I spent my weekend with Jacob, alone in my house, all weekend, trying to complete a stupid artwork.

"You know," I pointed out on Saturday afternoon while I made us some lunch, "my brother would not be happy if he found out you stayed over last night, spent all day here, and planned on coming back tomorrow."

He laughed. "What luck then that your brother is out this weekend aye? Sorry about last night, but it's your own fault that you ordered us pizza and put off starting until later. But don't worry, I won't stay here again tonight and I'll have to leave early tomorrow, I've got work. Are you going to miss me?"

I turned to him, dramatically placing my hand on my heart. "Oh dear Jacob," I cried. "How will I go on, how will I live without you in my life. My life will be so depressing until I can see you again on Monday."

Jacob jumped up from his chair and swung me around. Placing me on the ground he knelt down, keeping up the act. "Oh dear, run away with me, we'll never have to live apart, we can be together… forever." He was at a stage whisper by now, and neither of us could help but double over in fits of laughter.

After we had calmed down, Jacob turned to me quite seriously, studying me.

"What?" I asked.

"You know…" He hesitated, but continued on, "You've change, a lot, since you got here. You're louder, in the good way, like just then, and you're more open around people. Like the other day, I was being a peeping tom or anything, I just happened to walk past a certain pizza store and saw you and another girl sitting, talking, laughing. Its good, you're… really good now."

I smiled, "You're right, thank you."

Jacob looked at the ground turning red and mumbled something incoherent.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," He stood up and shot me a cheeky grin, "let's get back to work, I'll try not to miss the canvas this time."

Dear Bells,

I'm sorry about everything that's happened. I wish I could be a real friend and be actually be there for you. I guess what you told me helps everything else make sense; why you live with your brother, why you're hesitant to make friends. I wished those things didn't happen to you, you don't deserve it.

You were right when you thought I'd say to visit her grave. Definitely don't go to a shrink, you've already got me! I hope you have already been to visit her. I have no doubt it was heartbreaking. Awkward at first because you didn't know what to say, then everything pours out and you never want to leave. But when you do it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, you've come to terms with it. That's how I remember it felt when I first visited my mother's grave. And Bells, for heaven's sake, please don't feel responsible for her death; do not feel guilty for anything. You have done nothing wrong. For years I allowed the guilt to weigh me down when one day I realised thinking about what could have been doesn't change anything.

You asked me why I joined the defence force when I could have served justice in other ways, helped people in other ways. You asked why the defence force stood out to me. As I've told you once before wanted to be a lawyer and serve justice or be a psychologist and help people. You remember the September 11 attacks don't you? When the terrorists flew the planes into the twin towers in America? Well my mother received a call a while later, only confirming what she already knew – my father was in the building that day and didn't survive. I thought working in a building wasn't going to be enough for me. I wanted to go out and catch terrorist, protect people who were going to be harmed by those people. That is why I joined the defence force.

I am sorry about what your dad has done to you and your family. I can't imagine the pain it caused you, but I can see how it has affected you. But Bells, you don't know when you could lose him. Tomorrow you could find out your father was killed in a car accident. You could say now that you wouldn't care, you don't love him, that he deserved it. After it happens, you'd realised that you do care, you do love him because he is still your father, and no one deserves a punishment a bad as death. Most of all you'd regret not listening to him, not forgiving him. Everyone makes mistakes; we all have skeletons in our closet. You need to hear him out, and if you can bring yourself to do it, forgive him. I'm not saying be best friends, but try and start again the best you can. Trust me, I know when I say you'll really regret it if you don't. Think about it, you don't have much to lose, only so much to gain.

Good luck Bella, I'm thinking of you.

Edward.