Disclaimer: We own nothing. All characters are property of Stephenie Meyer. And we do not get any sort of profit from this.

A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Blame this on me, my co-writer is working on the next update so this was all my fault for not updating sooner. (le sigh) But sometimes, real life calls even though we don't always want it to. :/

But to make up for it, this is SUPER long - we're talking 12 and half pages on a Word Document AND....... SMUT SMUT SMUT in the beginning... muahaha.

Oh, in my profile there is a link to background music made for the very beginning section of this chapter *cough* the smut *cough* Please listen if you want an extra "ta-da" to that scene. ;)

Enjoy! :D

-

-

Previously:

"You're really here, right?" I whispered my question, afraid that the words spoken any louder might shatter the illusion of him, if that's what he was. "Please tell me it's true, Edward."

Lifting his head up off the pillow, he leaned over me again, hovering his lips inches from mine. "It's true." He closed the short distance between our mouths with a sensual kiss that made me feel as if I was falling again. And just like earlier in the rain, I felt his arms wrap around me, catching me.

My arms snaked around to his back and I pulled him eagerly down against my body. "Don't ever let me go," I rushed breathlessly before reclaiming his embrace.

-

-

Chapter 13: Rude Awakenings

Edward's POV:

Salt. A strange taste to my tongue and yet I craved it. I craved its bitterness, saturating my senses with the lingering scent of her smell. Her tears had leaked down her face, dripping into our mouths as we kissed. I felt as if I were in a dream. Her small hands threaded through my hair, pulling me flush against her body as if trying to mold us into one. "I'll never let you go, Bella," I whispered, moving my lips over her eyelids, over the arch of her cheek, past her nose, cherishing every inch of skin I could taste. "Never, my love."

She whimpered against my mouth, clutching me to her even more tightly. "Please don't let this be a dream," she whispered, desperation taking over her sweet voice.

"If I could dream at all…"

A soft keening sound echoed from the back of my throat as I roughly hooked her leg around my waist, burying my face into the crook of her neck. I breathed in her floral scent, my eyes rolling back in my head. "It's not," I growled, sending cool breath over her flesh.

"… it would be about you."

"God, I'll never leave you again." My lips claimed their territory once more. I couldn't handle the separation between us. We were so close and yet I couldn't feel her. Fingers met soft cotton and in seconds her shirt, including the bra beneath it, was ripped to shreds, the fabric fluttering through the air around us.

"And I'm not ashamed of it."

We stared at each other, trapped in that moment. Brown met black and I was forever lost. A strangled moan rumbled through my chest. "Bella." My arms wrapped around her once more, pulling her to me, my lips claiming her neck. She flung her head back, arching against my body. Every touch I gave her elicited the most beautiful notes of pleasure from her crimson lips.

My hand trailed down her side; fingertips brushing against the swell of her breast. And with each glide, with each caress, a wake of goosebumps chilled her skin. The feel of her smooth pale flesh against my cold palm, ignited something within me that had been simmering for far too long. I need you, Bella.

She whimpered, biting her lip in the most delectable way and I felt her nails attempt to penetrate the surface of my shoulders.

"Take this off," she whispered hoarsely, tugging at my damp shirt. "I need to feel you against me, Edward. I need to feel that you're real."

My right hand clutched the fabric that covered my torso. She stared at the pale fist that lay across my chest with wide eyes, her bare chest heaving for oxygen, desperately begging it to fill her lungs. My eyes never left her face and with one fluid motion, I bared myself before her. One simple blink and she wouldn't have realized I had removed my shirt from my body.

I had her against me in half a second. "Can you feel me, Bella?" I whispered in her ear, my hands moving down her back. "Can you feel that I'm real?" I ground my hips against hers to emphasize my point.

"Yes!" she cried out, sending the most delicious chill down my spine. It was then that I remembered Charlie was not that far away. I stilled against her as her forehead fell to rest on my shoulder. His snores told me he hadn't heard her and I made a promise to not let him interrupt us tonight.

I need more of you. My fingers went to the edge of her cotton pants. I laid her softly back down, toying with the skin around her waist before slowly pulling the cotton material away, hooking my fingertips through the lace of her panties as I went… moving both garments aside… inch by inch. My body moved down over hers, our eyes locked together in the darkness. I bent down and kissed the smooth flesh just below her pelvic bone. She shivered beneath me, her hands gripping the bed sheets in anticipation. My breathing hitched as my face hovered over the area of her arousal. Her scent clouded my mind. I could barely see through the haze of my passion for her. I need to taste you, Bella.

Slowly, I brushed my lips upward along the inside of her thigh, and licked at her soft skin, that lead me to her moist center. As I reached it, I paused, relishing in the scent of her arousal before I pressed my lips gently against hers. She gasped at the sensation as I allowed my tongue to slip beyond the edge of my lips to taste her sweet nectar. Her flavor was intoxicating. I couldn't suppress the pleasurable growl that crept up the back of my throat and vibrated against her. She knotted her fingers into my hair in response as she inhaled sharply, pressing herself against my mouth. A soft moan escaped from her in the sound of my name.

The taste of Bella's blood had forever left its mark in my brain, embedding its sweet flavor to forever coat my senses. But this… to truly taste her… this was far more devastating than the warm red liquid that pooled in her veins. I felt the muscles clench in my gut. My fingers dug into her skin, imprinting their mark into the flesh, which quickly turned a light purple. Jerking her to me roughly, I allowed my tongue to push in as far as it would go. I couldn't get enough of her warmth and the soft mews that echoed from her lips.

I shouldn't be doing this. A small voice tried to penetrate the sane part of my mind. You need to stop, Edward. Her fingers thread through my hair, tugging with all her strength. But I can't… God, I can't. My gaze lifted, meaning to look at her face, but instead my eyes fell to the deep violet bruises that now graced the pale flesh of her hips. What have I done? Dread pooled in my stomach as my worst fear began to materialize. What am I doing? Edward, you fool!

A strangled sob caught my attention, so full of sadness and… pain. Instantly, I sat up, looking towards my love. Her hands were now clutching her head. Hot tears streaming down her face. "Edward," she whimpered, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. I could see the nails of her nimble fingers digging into her scalp. "Please, stop th-thinking."

I released her, hardly causing a breeze in my wake as I now stood in the far corner of her room, hiding in the shadows. My fists clenched tightly at my sides as my body began to shake with rage. Rage at myself – for what I had allowed myself to do to her.

She let out a soft, strangled cry as she slowly sat up, her brown doe-like eyes searching my face in the darkness. I focused on the way her lips quivered with each new tear. She held out her hand to me, reaching. "Please… come he–"

"Don't." My eyes shifted to the floor. I couldn't even allow myself to look at her now. How could I be so selfish? "I'm sorry, Bella." Her heart fluttered rapidly and I shut my eyes as if to rid myself of the agonizing symphony. "I shouldn't be here, not when I can cause you pain."

"Wh-What?"

My gaze flashed quickly to her face and the light that had once flickered in her eyes quickly blew out. "Oh no… No, Bella. That's not what I meant." I shook my head furiously. "I only meant that maybe I should stay at my home for the night, to keep you from my thoughts. Just… just to give you a break until I can control myself around you again."

Tears still dripping over her chin, sliding down her neck, she rose from her bed and walked towards me, her movements determined yet cautious. I stiffened as she stopped only centimeters from my body. "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," she whispered. "How dare you even think of leaving again after everything you've put me through." I watched, pained, as she swallowed heavily, gasping for breath through her quiet sobs. "Why would you leave me again? Why?"

Silence seemed to resonate around us for what seemed like hours before I finally spoke. My fingers lightly grazed over her bruised flesh. "I touch you, and I break you." I looked up to meet her glistening gaze, my eyes penetrating through hers. "Bella, if I even try to think of how much I love you, my words shatter your being." It was as if a knife had been shoved into my chest, twisting and turning in the un-beating organ that lay there. "I can't…" My jaws clenched as I shook my head. "I can't – "

"Shh…." Within seconds, Bella closed the gap between us. Her breath, that once fluttered over my skin now ceased as her lips collided with mine.

Salt.

It assaulted my tongue, my lips… I tasted her sadness – her agony once again. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I found myself pulling her closer to me, melting against her heat.

The bed gave way beneath my knees as I gently placed her back down onto it, climbing in beside of her. "Bella, we can't go any further now. I can't risk hurting you again."

She sniffled once and nodded against my chest, burying her face into my cold, marble-like flesh. "Don't leave me, then."

It was almost as if my heart had fluttered, clenching in pain at her words. "I won't," I choked out, pulling her to me. Her arms and legs wrapped around my body, clinging to me tightly as if to keep me here with her forever. And I would… I would stay with her like his forever. "Go to sleep, my love," I whispered in her ear. "I won't leave your side." Her grip tightened around me, hugging me to her even more as she buried her face into the crook of my neck. I could feel her warm tears gliding across my skin. My fingers threaded through the soft tendrils of her hair, holding her to me as tightly as I could without hurting her. Her heart pounded wildly against my chest as if to make my own heart burst to life and join her song. "I'll stay with you forever, Bella."

"Forever," she murmured before her eyes fluttered close.

-

-

The soft fluttering of her steady heartbeat sped rapidly beneath her chest. I glanced down to the top of her head as she slept over me. Her body jerked slightly and I felt her small hand clench and unclench the sheet around us.

"Bella," I whispered, my fingers softly running through her hair. A light sheen of sweat began to bead over her fair skin. She shivered at my touch; a soft whimper escaping her lips as she furrowed her brow in concentration. I didn't fight the impulse to pull her closer to me.

Nightmares.

So many times, I stood only a few feet away, watching her dream of the ghosts that seemed to always haunt her, kissing away her tears when she would awake. Frightened.

"Edward has nothing to do with this…" she mumbled, wrapping her arms around me even more.

I stilled.

"No…" she cried.

Panic seemed to stir within my gut. I knew exactly what my love was reliving. "Bella, wake up," I whispered again, pressing my hands more firmly over the bare skin of her back. "Love, wake –"

"No Edward! Don't!"

I watched in shock as her body bolted into a sitting position; my grasp completely loosened from her form. Her hair was askew, her eyes wild.

My hands reached out to hold her to me once more. "Bella. Bella, it's alright."

More breathing. I tightened my grip around her arms as my entire body went still. I could hear rustling and the soft thud of footsteps.

Charlie.

"Bella, lie down," I commanded softly, pulling the sheets up around her naked form and insisting that she close her eyes. "I'll be back."

My lips met her skin briefly and before the doorknob even turned, I was standing in her closet, watching as Charlie walked into the room.

"Bella?" he whispered, walking towards her.

She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes, rubbing them tiredly, and doing her best to keep the tears at bay. The fear that etched her face was undeniable but Charlie made no attempt to ask her about her nightmare. From what I could tell, this wasn't the first time he had awoken to the sounds of her screams. "Sorry, dad. Bad dream," she muttered, ducking her head to hide her glistening eyes.

"S'alright, kid." He stood there, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he shifted slightly from one foot to the next. Should I sit with her? Hug her even?

Charlie never noticed it, but the tightening of Bella's jaw signified the pain she was enduring from his thoughts. My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to fight off the urge to run to her.

"You need anything?" Still he was awkward, not knowing how to approach the situation. After so many times of trying to take care of her when I had disappeared, he still didn't know if what he was doing was the right thing. And for that, I loathed myself even more.

"I'm fine." Her voice was weak, trembling. "Go back to bed, dad."

He sighed and brought his hand down to rest on his hip. "Alright. Get some sleep, Bells."

I could have been counting years for how long it took him to leave her. A soft "love you" echoed through the air before he finally shut her door.

My arms were around her shaking form within seconds as the tears poured down her face. "Shh… It's okay, Bella. I'm here now. It's going to be alright."

I tucked her head beneath my chin. My fingers softly massaged the back of her head, mussing the soft waves of her hair. She clutched herself to me, sobbing into the stone-like flesh of my chest. And I held her, rocking her soothingly, humming her lullaby close to her ear. I gathered several locks of her chocolate hair within my hand and nuzzled my face down into the warm bed of silk, breathing in her scent deeply. Freesias. Warmth. My arm tightened around her small waist as I felt her hot tears slip down my chest.

For an hour we stayed that way. I didn't push her to tell me what she dreamt of, even though I had a good inclination as to what it was about. But never in all my life had I wished to be able to read her mind as I did in this moment.

Finally, the tears dried completely, the sobs turning into soft breathing. Still, she clung to me, burying her face into the crook of my neck.

"Bella," I whispered, my hand moving from her waist to lightly rub small circles across her back. "Please tell me what you dreamt of, love."

A soft sniffle echoed from below my ear and I hugged her to me just a little tighter. She squeezed back, but then began to pull away. I let her go, watching her move into a sitting position as she pulled the sheet up to cover her chest. Even with the intensity of the situation, she still blushed. I smiled my crooked grin and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. My hand cupped the side of her face and I watched, stunned, as her eyes fluttered close and she leaned into my touch.

After a few moments, she sighed heavily and opened her eyes, staring off towards the wall. Unseeing. "I dreamt of the night at the ballet studio." Her voice was hoarse from the many tears she cried over my skin. "I dreamt of James attacking me." Her chin trembled with unshed tears and I quickly adjusted myself to sit in front of her. I wanted to ease her pain, to take away everything bad that had happened to her since I entered her life. I wanted to bring James back to his undead form and rip his head off again and again for what he had done to her. But I couldn't. So I sat there in silence and watched her break in front of my very eyes.

"He was threatening to hurt you, and…" A stray tear slid down her cheek. Her mouth moved as if speaking but no words broke free.

My stomach clenched. "Bella," I whispered, gently turning her face so that I could look into her brown depths. I couldn't help but smile – a sad, small grin. "Silly girl. Nothing is going to happen to me and nothing happened to me that night."

"No," she whimpered, two more tears slipping down her skin. "But something happened to me, didn't it? And in a way it did affect you. Maybe not physically, but… you were hurt."

The memory of James sinking his teeth into Bella's flesh, made me tremble with rage. The utter fear and pain that I felt in that moment almost rivaled the excruciating three days of my transformation into the world of the undead. I shut my eyes tightly, desperately trying to rid away the horrified screams that ripped through Bella's mouth as the venom coursed through her system.

When I finally opened my eyes, she seemed to be just as lost in the memory as I was. Slowly, I reached down to take her hand in mine, my fingers lightly tracing the crescent scar.

"Sometimes, that's the only part I dream about," she told me, nodding her head towards our joined hands. "The bite."

I glanced up to look at her face and what I saw in her eyes were several emotions colliding into each other at once. Pain. Fear. Guilt. Love. Sorrow. Comfort. All feelings that I had some part in causing. I frowned, thinking about what she had said. "Do you dream about this a lot?"

"Not every night, but often."

My fingers still traced patterns over her hand and I breathed out an audible sigh.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head to me. "Does that mean something?"

"It could. I'll have to tell Carlisle about it. Well, that is if Alice hasn't already foreseen this," I smirked.

Bella nodded and slowly turned to lie back down. I followed her lead and wrapped her in my arms once more, feeling content with the way her body pressed into mine. She was made to fit against me, as I was to her. My fingers tangled into her hair once more as she snuggled into my chest. I breathed in her scent deeply and began to hum her lullaby, finally releasing an inaudible sigh of relief when she finally drifted back to sleep.

-

-

It was Monday. The sun had already risen behind the cloudy skies of Forks and Charlie had come in to check on Bella at least three times before finally leaving.

I sat in the rocking chair across her room, watching her sleep soundlessly. Her chest would rise and fall with each breath and for once she seemed to be at peace. What Bella had revealed to me last night about her dreams bothered me more than it should. Could they have any connection to her sudden mindreading capability? I didn't know. But I knew I needed to relay the information to Carlisle.

Deciding that Bella was in a deep enough sleep to not be awakened anytime soon, I silently slipped through her bedroom door and into the hallway.

Plucking the cell phone from my back pocket, I dialed the familiar number, still listening for the sound of Bella's steady breathing. The phone didn't even ring twice.

"I knew it would be you," Alice chirped. "And about damn time too. I was about send Jazz and Emmett after you."

I snorted. "Thanks, Alice. I love you too."

Her musical laugh filtered through my ear and a pained smile graced my lips. As much as I depended upon being with Bella, I still missed my family. Especially my pixie haired little sister.

"Emmett says that he's glad to know you grew a pair and showed yourself to Bella," she teased. "But I just told him, that I always knew you would show yourself eventually. You just needed some time."

I grumbled something obscene about Emmett's comment, which only caused more laughter from Alice's end. "I'm glad too, you know." Her voice was suddenly more somber. Serious. "She really needed you."

"I know," I sighed, leaning up against the wall. "Which is why I'm calling. I need to speak to Carlisle."

"About the nightmares?"

"Yes. Do you know what they mean?"

I could almost hear her shaking her head. "No, Edward, I don't. I keep trying to see more of Bella's future, but it's just blurred fragments. It's too disorganized right now. Oh… here comes Carlisle."

I straightened up then, pressing the phone closer to my ear. "Thanks, Alice and – Alice?"

Silence met me through the other line. An eerie sort of silence. "Alice? Are you still there?"

There was a small gasp, before I heard her voice. "Stay close to her, Edward."

Her voice was off, almost distant. I knew then that she had had a vision. "Alice, what do you mean – "

"Edward?"

I stopped midsentence, ready to punch a hole through the wall. "Carlisle, where did she go? What did she mean by that?"

"Edward, I don't understand," Carlisle's voice was firm yet calm. I hated that I couldn't be as composed as he was.

"Alice. She had a vision… I think. It was about Bella."

"Hmm… I'll inquire on it when we're done. She just left the room."

"Dammit," I cursed softly, pinching the bridge of my nose tightly. "Listen, I talked to Bella last night –"

"Yes, Alice mentioned the nightmares to me just before you called. Is she having them frequently?"

I sighed once again in frustration and lowered the phone down while shutting my eyes tightly. "Why do I bother calling?" Bringing the phone back up, I spoke rapidly to Carlisle about the reoccurring nightmare and how sometimes she only dreamt about certain aspects. I even explained the severity of her mindreading and the pain that seemed to accompany it.

"Edward…" There was a long pause before he spoke again, which only seemed to fray my nerves even more. "I don't know what it means, but it does concern me that she's experiencing pain when she hears thoughts."

"I know." I hoped my voice didn't show the infinitesimal amount of panic that I felt, but I knew of all people, he would hear it.

"I'll call you later when we've figured out more information."

Just then, a small groan came from within Bella's room and I hastily ended my conversation with Carlisle, frustrated that I didn't get anywhere closer to discovering what was truly wrong with her.

She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes as I entered her room. Her hair was styled in my favorite way. A haystack.

"Good morning," I murmured, gently sitting on the edge of her bed.

She stared at me blankly and I wondered if there was something that I had done wrong. But before I had a chance to ask her that, she flung her arms around me with such ferocity that I initially stilled beneath her grasp. "You stayed!" she cried out, hugging me tightly.

I chuckled, relaxing enough to pull her into my lap. "Of course I stayed, you silly girl. How could I leave you now?"

I watched as she pulled away, a pained smile tugging at her lips. "For a moment, I thought this was all a dream. I woke up and you weren't here, so…"

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry," I whispered, cupping her face gently in my hands. She stared longingly into my eyes and for a moment I was lost in her brown depths. My Bella… I was finally back with my love. "I only stepped outside to call Carlisle. I didn't think you would wake up before I came back."

"Did he know anything?" she asked, nervously picking at a loose thread that snaked its way out of the purple quilt.

"Nothing new. He said he would look into it further."

Bella nodded and looked down. Her face blushed a furious crimson as her eyes shot up to meet mine. At first, I didn't understand what she could have possibly been so embarrassed about until she clutched the sheet to her bare chest. I chuckled a deep throaty laugh and winked playfully at her. "You don't have to hide from me, Bella."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered before nestling back down under the covers. "What time is it anyway?"

"Ten thirty," I answered, grinning down at her. "Charlie came in a few times to check on you this morning. He left a note for you on the kitchen table, explaining that he called the school to say you would be absent for the day. He also left a plate of soggy eggs for your breakfast, but I wouldn't recommend eating them."

She laughed at my sour expression. Truly laughed, and it warmed my heart to hear those musical notes. As her laughter calmed down, she rubbed a hand over her face tiredly. "I should probably take a shower."

I nodded, getting up to let her move more freely. "Bella?" I asked, standing by her window, uncertain of whether I should even broach this subject.

When I turned around, she was looking at me from her closet; another ratty t-shirt in her hands. "Yes?"

I contemplated on what to say to her, as images of she and Jacob's kiss flashed through my mind. Instinctively, she flinched and I instantly regretted letting myself loose control of my thoughts. "Bella, I'm –"

"No." She stopped me by holding up a hand and shaking her head. "I think I almost deserved that, so don't apologize."

I furrowed my brow and waited to hear her explain whatever she felt necessary. Not that I thought she had done something wrong, but it still sparked a twinge of jealously in me whenever I thought about her with the mutt. Again, how could I blame her? I left. And again, it was my fault.

Bella noisily waddled towards the bed, trying her best to not trip over the sheet that she clutched so tightly to her small frame. She let out a heavy "huff" as she sat down. "I thought I saw you that night, looking at me in the woods. I missed you so much and I was sure I was going absolutely insane. Jacob was the only one who could understand what I was… well, he was the only one here, who knew about my problem." She ruffled her hair nervously and shook her head again. "I don't know what I was thinking. I guess, I just missed… the physical contact. I'd been numb for so long and I just… wanted to feel."

God, how I hated myself even more for allowing her to feel this way. I frowned and clenched my fists, hoping she wouldn't notice. But because she's Bella, and she notices things about me that not even my family did, she saw the anger that I felt towards myself. And heaven help me, she stood up and wrapped her arms around me, softly resting her chin on my shoulder. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. Her comforting me, when I was the one that needed to spend the rest of eternity groveling to her for what I had done.

"What happened between me and Jacob was a mistake. I know he probably showed you our kiss with his thoughts. But what he didn't show you was me pushing him away. He didn't show you that he also tried to force himself on me again." Her voice was almost so quiet; a human would have never heard it. A low grow rumbled through my chest.

"He stopped though," she added quickly. "But still, you need to know that even though I did initially kiss him back, it meant nothing. It was nice at first," she said, pulling away to look into my eyes, which I'm sure were turning blacker by the second. Still, she never waivered. "But it wasn't… you." She frowned then, lowering her gaze and again I had to strain to hear her next words. "I'm sorry I hurt you in that way." I watched as her pale fingers idly picked at my shirt. What she said next nearly knocked me to the ground. "Please don't leave me again." Her shoulders shuddered with quiet sobs and instantly I lifted her face up so that she could see the truth in my eyes.

"I was so very stupid and selfish for leaving you," I whispered, softly stroking her tears away. "You're my heart, Bella. When I'm with you, I feel alive again. And when I left… there was nothing. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping you safe from me, but I was wrong. Without you, I can't survive."

Her small hand fisted into the material of my shirt, bringing me closer to her until our foreheads touched. And I repeated words to her that I had said so long ago. "You are my life now."

The warmth of her lips met my own. I pulled her to me, tangling my hands in her brown tresses as she parted her lips for me. I sucked on her bottom lip, eliciting a small groan from her mouth.

It was then, that the soft ringing of Bella's cell phone echoed throughout the room. I growled in protest, still kissing my way from her lips to her jaw. She giggled and swatted me away as she stumbled towards the fowl noise. I caught her around the waist before she could trip over the bed sheet and snatched the phone, which had been lying on her dresser. I furrowed my brow at the unrecognizable number while Bella tried to see who it was. After many "let me see!" remarks, I finally handed her the phone, carefully listening in while she said hello.

"Hi, Bella! It's Mike. I got your number from Angela. So how are feeling? We heard you were sick."

I nearly choked on my own laughter as Bella's eyes widened. "Uh… hi, Mike."

Not possibly being able to give this up, I held out my hand towards the phone. Bella looked at me and shook her head. "No!" she whispered. "No one knows you're back."

"They will soon enough." With that, I snatched the phone away from her while swiftly throwing her over my shoulder and grabbing her clean clothes all at once. "Newton. Glad you called."

"Put me down!" Bella hissed as I carried her out of her room and towards the bathroom.

Ignoring her protests, I indulged in the shocked silence on the other line. "Did you need something?" I asked casually, gently setting Bella down in front of the shower. She proceeded to glare at me while I put her clothes on the sink and turned to switch the hot water on.

"Uh… Cullen?" Mike asked, completely dumbfounded. I could only imagine the astonished look on his face and instantly smirked.

"Yes, it's Cullen. Now, like I said, Newton, was there something you needed?"

Bella stomped her foot, ready to say something before I winked at her and shut the door as I backed out into the hallway.

He stuttered for a minute or two and I found that I was enjoying this far more than I should have. "Uh… well, I just… uh…"

"Edward!" Bella shrieked. Chuckling, I cracked the door open enough to poke my head through and grinned at her. "Shower. Now."

She opened her mouth again, but I quickly shut the door. "Well, sorry to interrupt your thinking process there, Newton, but I really need to go. Please don't call Bella by this number again."

By the time I flipped her phone shut, Bella had flung the door open. Her face was flushed with irritation as she narrowed her eyes, clearly fuming. It was absolutely adorable.

"What is your problem?" she asked incredulously.

"What? I thought you didn't like him," I shrugged. "Do you want breakfast?"

My question caught her off guard and she blinked hard before answering me. "Are you making me breakfast?"

"Depends. Are you going to complain some more?"

She narrowed her eyes once again before closing the door in my already amused face. "Maybe."

Fifteen minutes later, Bella was downstairs, clothed and looking more refreshed than I had seen her. I placed a plate of freshly made eggs and bacon on the table just as she sat down. She sniffed the food cautiously before poking the eggs with her fork.

"I can cook, you know," I teased, setting down a glass of orange juice for her.

She smiled up at me before instantly shoving a forkful of food into her small mouth. "Hmmm…" she hummed, closing her eyes. "This is good."

I laughed and was about to sit down in my usual seat when a smell so foul, so putrid, invaded my senses. My hands fisted around the edge of the table, threatening to splinter the wood.

I could hear the clang of Bella's fork as it hit her plate but I hardly paid attention. "What is it?" she asked, her voice alarmed. "Edward?"

Before I could answer her, I whirled around to face the window, my eyes narrowing at the figure across the street. I could see the smugness on his face from where I stood and it only fueled my desire to rip his head off.

The reflection that shown through the window, no longer portrayed me as the caring soul that Bella loved. Pitch black eyes embedded in a sickening sea of white as the hint of bronze flames rose high above them reflected menacingly.

Bella's heart sped up sporadically as she slowly inched towards me. Here was the monster. Here was the atrocity that I had become. And now I wanted nothing more than to rip my enemy from limb to limb.

"Jacob."

-

-

A/N: Dun, dun, dun... *snort* I have a feeling you all will be dying to read the next update soon. Because why? All that fuzzy, angsty stuff from this update just flew right out the window. Yeah... we're evil like that ;)

Oh yeah, and you probably know that there were 3 lines in particular that are NOT mine, but Stephenie Meyer's. I could look up where in the book they're from, but it's way too damn early and I'm just lazy. So yeah... haha. Hope you all enjoyed the update! :D