Okay, so this chapter is much shorter than all the other ones, by about a thousand words. As usual, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you thought. Not much to say this time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.


Bella's Point of View

I ran across the room as salty liquid came in contact with my tongue. Tears, they poured freely from my eyes now. I didn't look back once as I ran from Jacob. He was a good few feet behind me now when his voice filled the room, filled with hatred and disgust.

"You're a slut Bella Swan and you always will be."

Tears continued to pour down my cheeks as I ran down the hall that seemed to have no end. I could see the door in front of me but it never seemed to get closer. I suddenly smashed into something, it felt like I'd run into a stone wall. I fell backward and hit the ground hard.

"Bella?" I looked up as Edward leaned down in front of me, concern plastered all over his face. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Jacob, do you think I'm a slut?"

He laughed, "He thinks you're a slut? About damn time he saw the truth. I swear, I thought that boy was never going to see past your act."

"W-what?"

"You heard me, Jacob's not the only one who thinks you're a slut." He looked past me and I heard footsteps come up behind me, "Hey Jacob, glad you finally saw the truth."

I felt like I was choking as I stood up and tried pushing past Edward toward the door. They both grasped one of my arms and pulled me back. Jacob spoke first, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting away from you, from both of you."

"Really?" I looked up at Jacob and nodded, "I wouldn't be too sure of that, we aren't done talking to you yet. You see, we have someone else here who wants to tell you something." The drug me back down the long hallway to the large room that was filled with oddly matched furniture. That now also contained all the people I had graduated with. "Bella, Edward thinks you still remember these people, do you?" I nodded slowly, "Good." He turned to the room of people, "Do you guys think Bella is a slut?"

The room erupted in a series of agreements and I felt a pair of lips at my ear, "Hear that Bella, everyone thinks you're a slut, everyone."

Jacob shoved me forward into the crowd of people as they began shoving me at someone else across from them while chanting slut at me.

I bolted upright in the bed, tears streaking down my cheeks. "I'm not a slut, I'm not a slut." I kept repeating the sentence over and over again. I wrapped my arms around my knees, "I'm not a slut."

"Bella," I felt another pair of arms wrap around me, "Sh, Bella, it was just a bad dream."

I looked over and saw Edward, concern and pain plastered on his face. "Do you think I'm a slut?"

"No."

I stood up and pulled free of his arms, "You're lying, tell me the truth."

"Bella, I'm not lying. I have never and I will never think you are a slut." I sat back down on the bed and he hesitantly put his arm around me. "I hate him."

"Who?"

"Jacob, this is his fault." I leaned against his chest and he rubbed his hand gently against my arm for a few minutes before he spoke again, "Try to go back to sleep." He moved to get up but I held onto his arm.

"Please, stay here, please." I looked up at him again; His eyes slowly meeting my gaze.

"Okay."

"Thank you." He moved back so his back was leaning against the headboard and I laid back down, his left hand laid on the bed next to me. I entwined my fingers with his and shut my eyes, hoping he could keep the dreams away like he used to.

Edward's Point of View

Bella's soft, steady breaths beside me let me know she had fallen back asleep as my own eyelids began drooping. I moved down on the bed so I was lying down on the bed next to her. Somehow even when she was sleeping Bella sensed my movement and she rolled onto her side facing me, she opened her eyes slowly and smiled at me.

"Thank you." She scooted closer to me and put my arm around her shoulder as she laid her head on my shoulder. I held my other arm across my body and laid it on her arm that was lying on my chest.

"Anytime Bella."

My mind raced, why couldn't I figure this out? I was engaged to Tanya, not Bella. I shouldn't feel this protective of Bella, I shouldn't want to make her feel safe all the time. Most importantly, I shouldn't dread going to sleep with Tanya; I should be going to bed with Tanya in my arms, not Bella. So why was it Bella seemed like she was meant to be here but Tanya it just doesn't seem natural. Bella, it hit me like I had just run into a brick wall. Bella, I was still in love with her and I always would be. But despite how much I loved her I couldn't just leave Tanya; my parents had raised me better than that. I reached into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out the antique ring Bella had given back to me earlier this week and slid it on her small finger that lay on my chest. I readjusted my arms around her and kissed the top of her head gently before resting my chin against the top of her head, knowing that in the morning I would have to pull away.


I woke up and glanced at the clock, five fifty-four. I gently moved Bella's arms from around my body and slid out of the bed without waking her. I tied my shoes and started walking toward the door, pausing on my way and looking over my shoulder at Bella as she slept in the bed.

"Goodbye Bella." The words left my mouth barely above a whisper, the next ones even quieter. "I love you."

I climbed down the stairs quickly and went out to my car. I punched the steering wheel and for and opened the door to the car, then stopping. No, I have to leave. I need to go back to my parents and see if Tanya's there. If she is we have to leave. I shut the door again and laid my head against the steering wheel for a few minutes before turning the key in the ignition, the car silently starting up.


I shut the front door quietly and Esme ran up to me, "Edward," She wrapped her arms around me and I noticed a few other people in the room, "You had me worried sick. I thought you were coming home last night."

"I had intended to but I fell asleep at a park, sorry Mom." I looked around the room and saw Tanya standing silently by the stairs. "Tanya, I need to talk to you." I saw Esme's hand go up to her mouth and ignored it, leading Tanya up the stairs, shutting the bedroom door silently behind us.

"I'm so sorry Edward; I shouldn't have acted like I did this week. I promise I'll lose the attitude and enjoy the rest of the week. Please forgive me."

"Pack your stuff."

"What?"

"Pack your stuff, we're going home." She wrapped her arms around my waist and I returned the gesture but not like I would have before this whole thing had happened.

Bella's Point of View

I rolled over and my hand fell against the bed, empty. My eyes flew open and I looked around the room, he was gone. I stood up and walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the room fill with steam before I slid out of my clothes and stepped in. The warm water caused a wave of chills to pass over my body. I let the water massage my back as I washed out my hair with the small container of shampoo and conditioner the hotel provided. I stood in the shower for another ten minutes before getting out and wrapping a towel around my body. I dried off quickly and shivered as the cold air nipped at my body and I wished now that I had brought some sweats with me. I stepped back into the dress and looked at myself in the mirror, that's when it hit me. He would always leave. He left in high school and he left last night. Tears stung in my eyes and I swallowed hard, I have to be strong so Alice doesn't see that I'm still hurting. I ran my hand through my hair and yelped when it got stuck. I pulled my hand down and noticed the antique ring that lay on my hand again. My other hand flew up to my mouth and I tried to hold back the tears but they fell anyway. I stumbled backward and slipped on the wet tile and fell to the ground. I didn't move to get up, I just sat there. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself back down. I pushed myself back up and stood against the counter, wiping the straggling tears from my eyes. I grabbed my things and walked across the hall and knocked on Alice's door.

"Alice, let's go." She opened the door already alert and perky and pranced past me as Jasper followed her, still half asleep.

"So Bella, what happened after Edward took you back to the hotel?"

"Nothing, he sat on the floor and got me Advil when I woke up and encouraged me to sleep." She nodded her head in a way that told me she didn't believe me and I turned my gaze back toward the window as we made our way down the long driveway to her parents' house. My glaze flicked toward the empty spot where Edward's car would normally be parked and breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't here and headed toward the front door.

"Mom, where's Edward?"

Esme appeared around the corner from the kitchen and smiled at us, "He and Tanya took off when he got home this morning. Do you guys want some breakfast?" Alice looked at me and I nodded, "I'm just finishing up in here. Liyah's still asleep in the library if you want to check on her Bella."

"Thank you." I walked around the corner to the living room and shut the door quietly behind me. I laid my hand gently on Liyah's stomach and smiled at the peacefulness that washed over me. I leaned over and kissed her forehead gently before walking into the kitchen. "Alice, do you have something I can wear that's not a dress?"

She giggled and drug me up the stairs behind her into her room, "I'll be right back." She returned a few minutes later with a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

"You know me so well." She handed me the sweats and I slid into them as my body swam in the warm cotton. Edward scent clung to the fabric as I realized where she had gotten them. I swallowed hard for about the twentieth time that day and rolled the sweatpants so they would fit a little better and went down the stairs to join everyone else in the kitchen again.

"Hey look, the old Bella's back." I blushed and hit Emmett playfully on the arm.

Esme looked at Emmett, "Now Emmett, don't pick on Bella. We haven't had her here for a while and I'm glad she's back."

I gave Esme a hug before sitting down by Alice as Esme put eggs and bacon on everyone's plate. I took a bite of the eggs and savored the spices Esme had thrown in.

"I see you haven't lost your knack for cooking."

She shook her head, "How could I with this big kid coming down every few weeks for what he likes to call 'good old home cooking'."

I giggled and looked at Emmett who was shoveling his food into his mouth. He looked up and glanced between the two of us, "What?"

I laughed even harder and took a drink of water to try and settle my giggles, bad idea. Emmett continued to gape at us as he tried to figure out what I was so worked up about and the water came back up and shot from my nose. This set Emmett's booming laugh off along with everyone else, with everyone laughing no one heard the front door open and close.

"Mom do you know where I left my phone?" Edward walked into the kitchen and stopped when he saw all of us laughing and his gaze froze when he saw me. "Nice clothes." I looked down and blushed and noticed Emmett look at what I was wearing for the first time that morning.

"I don't know Edward, did you leave it in your room?" He turned around and walked up the stairs.

"I'll be right back."

I got up from the chair and walked up the stairs and shut the door to Edward's room after I walked in. He looked over his shoulder at me and looked away when he saw me, "What?"

"Why did you give me back the ring? I told you to give it to Tanya."

He turned around and walked over to me, "Because, I don't want Tanya wearing it. It doesn't seem right for anyone else to wear the ring besides you. I want you to keep it Bella, please." He reached past me and picked up his phone that sat on the table behind my back.

"Oh." He held my face in his hands and tilted my head up.

"Please take care of yourself, love."

I nodded and he laid one kiss on my forehead before walking past me to go back down the stairs. He stopped after he took a step down one and looked back over his shoulder at me before continuing and walking out the front door. I turned around and looked at his bedroom. I pulled the door shut and walked over and sat on the bed, my mind flooding with memories.

First semester, senior year.

I followed Edward up the stairs, my hand still in his. He shut the door gently behind us and kissed me gently. I smiled at him and fell backwards onto the bed as he laid down next to me, balancing himself on one of his elbows so he could look down at me. He tucked a piece of my hair behind me ear and smiled.

"Do you realize how beautiful you are?" I shook my head, "Well you are, you're beautiful in every way Bella."

I felt my cheeks turn pink, "Thanks, but I don't think I see what you're seeing."

"You aren't because everyone but you can see it." I blushed again, causing his smile to widen. "Do you want to know what my favorite thing about you is?" I nodded, "Your blush."

This only caused my blush to deepen, "What? Why?"

"Because, it's endearing, so is your clumsiness I have grown so accustomed to. Those are the things that make you, you, the things that make me love you."

I smiled as he leaned down and kissed my forehead. I sat up and pulled his lips to mine, smiling against his lips. He pulled back and looked at me.

"I want to give you something."

He stood up and walked across the room, looking at me over his shoulder before pulling something small out of a little box. He crossed the room back to me in three steps and sat down on the bed next to me. I sat up and tucked the loose hairs that fell in front of my face back behind my ear as I tried to see what he was holding. He laughed at me and closed his fist tightly around the objects, not allowing me one glimpse of what it was.

"My mom gave me this to me a couple of years ago and I've been waiting for the right person to give it to. When she gave it to me she said, give this to the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with." I felt my breath catch in my throat and I looked back up into his eyes. "I want to give it to you, Bella."

"I, uh, I don't know what to say to that." I looked down at his hand as he held up the ring and I gently took it from his fingers. I slid it onto my left ring finger and looked up at him and smiled, tears in my eyes, " I love you."

He leaned over and kissed me, "I love you too, Bella."

I looked around the room again, picturing the memory vividly as I looked down at where I sat, almost the same spot I was sitting that day. I wiped at a few of the straggling tears and took a deep breath, looking down at the ring that now lay on my right hand.

"I still love you." I took another breath as I walked back downstairs and went back into the kitchen, putting on a smile so not to make Alice feel like her attempts from last night didn't work. She looked up at me as I walked in the room and smiled.

"We were starting to wonder where you went."

I pointed up the stairs over my shoulder, "I, uh, had to use the bathroom."

She nodded in a way that told me she knew I was lying. I sat back down and slowly ate the rest of the eggs, watching the ring glisten in the light.