A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep 'um coming!

Chapter Thirteen

I sat in a stunned silence and gazed through Jacob. My best friend through my whole life. He loved me. He loved me. He loved me? Somehow putting those words in that sequence just didn't work. They didn't fit. Jacob couldn't love me like that, he was my best friend. And what about Edward, the love of my life. Where would he fit into that? I thought back and felt stupid. I had never mentioned Edward to Jacob. A bad idea, but I hadn't wanted to upset Jacob, to make him think I had forgotten him. I really should have told him

"I guess it is bad timing." he muttered. I was jerked out of my internal scolding and looked at him.

"Jake, you're my best friend." I whispered. I was grasping at something that could give me an excuse not to tell him that I couldn't love him like that. Some excuse that meant I didn't have to hurt him more.

"And that's why I fell in love with you Bella; you know me better then anybody!" He was grasping my hand now. He looked into my eyes expectantly, like he assumed the love he felt would be reflected there. I could not deny that I had thought myself in love with Jake at points throughout our lives. But since Edward…I'd known that my love for Jacob was the love you have for a trusted friend or a brother. In truth, I loved him almost exactly as I loved my brother. But Jake and I had a bond that was different then the one Em and I had. Jacob was someone outside the family, to whom I could vent about my family. Em knew my every thought and emotion so I could hide nothing from him, where I could and did hide very much from Jake when I needed to.

"Bella if you come back to Phoenix we can make this work. Get you the doctors your mom had, and they could most likely save you." Jake persisted.

I had to do something. I just didn't want to hurt Jake. Because I did love him, just not in the way he wanted me too.

Taking a deep breath I resolved to tell him what I should have told him before.

"I'm sorry Jake, I can't do that."

His eyes clouded over, "What? Why not?"

I looked away from his eyes and the hurt they were filled with and said, "Because I'm happy here. I…I've fallen in love here."

I heard his small gasp; it was a gasp of pain. "You've…with who?"

"His name is Edward." I said simply. It was as though Jake and I had a mental bond like my brother and I did. I could feel every little bit of his pain; it all rebounded against my skull over and over again. I wanted to kick myself for hurting him, but reminded myself of how much I loved both Edward and Jacob, just in different ways.

"So...you don't? We…wont?" he stumbled over his words. Tears coursed down my face. Why couldn't I stop hurting people?! It was like every move I made hurt someone.

"Jake, I love him. And I love you like a brother."

Jake wasn't looking at me. He was staring a hole through the wall.

"I'm so sorry Jake."

He still didn't look at me, nor did he speak. I felt something between us break, and I knew that our relationship had changed forever. Jacob loved me, and I did not feel the same. It was the first time we had ever had any awkwardness between us. We would never talk about things the same, because we would have this between us. I felt my heart fracture, preparing itself for the break of Jake leaving.

After a while he sighed and looked at me. There was a resigned look in his eyes.

"I knew it was a long shot. But I had to try." he said simply.

"I'm so sorry." I said again. He raised a hand and brushed down the length of my cheekbone.

"Don't be Bells; I'm glad that you're happy. You should be happy before you…before, well you know." he said, sadness creeping into his voice at the mention of my illness.

"They can't save you?" he asked quietly.

"No Jake, they can't do anything. The cancer is too aggressive, too far along." I explained. He nodded; I could tell his tears were about to spill over again.

"Bella?" A voice called from the hallway. I looked up to see Edward standing there. He looked confused and irritated.

"Edward, what's going on? Why are you here?" I asked, walking to him.

"Carlisle, he sent me to check on you. To make sure you were ok." He explained, eyes trained on Jacob who was giving him a death glare. If looks cold kill Edward could be in little pieces by now.

"Who's this?" he asked me, not looking away from Jacob.

"Edward this is Jake. Jake this is Edward." I introduced them. They seemed to measure each other and it reminded me of the boy at the book store.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend." Edward said pointedly, offering his hand.

Jacob just glared and he stood. He was a few inches taller then Edward, but I was still afraid for him. Jake was a human, and Edward was not.

"Jacob Black. I've known her since we were both in the womb." He retorted.

"She mentioned you once." Edward said, I could tell they were trying to irritate each other. The testosterone was starting to suffocate me and I felt like I should be standing between them, though neither had made a threatening move toward the other.

"Funny, she never mentioned you." Jake said, his mouth pulling back into a parody of his smile, making it look more like a showing of his teeth.

Edward's nostrils flared and he said, "You must not be too important then." And Jacob made forward as if he was going to hit him

"ENOUGH! I yelled, stepping in between the two males who towered over me.

They both looked startled and looked down at me.

"That's enough I said! You're both important to me ok? So stop acting like I'm someone's possession! All this male stuff is giving me a headache!" I yelled, and in truth I could feel a migraine coming on.

Edward softened at once, "Oh Bella, lets get your pills. Carlisle said this might happen because of the…because of what happened." Edward cut himself off, shooting a look at Jake as he led me to the kitchen. He sat me at the table then hurried to get me a cold glass of water as I said "I had one, so just give me one more."

He handed me the pill then proceeded to dab at my face with a wash cloth. I made an appreciative sound and he smiled, kissing my forehead.

"You've got a fever, Bella." He whispered. I looked up into his eyes and he looked frantic. I hadn't realized the depth of his worry for me, but now I saw it reflected in his eyes. He was terrified that I would die in his arms.

"You won't get rid of me yet." I murmured as his hand rested against my forehead.

"Why would I want to?" he asked.

"I'd like to get rid of you." someone mumbled from the door. I looked up at Jake and grimaced.

"Be nice." I chided.

"Sure, sure."

I looked back at Edward and saw that he had managed to rein in his fury. I was proud of him.

"Bed please." I whispered and he nodded, smiling at me gratefully for giving him a task that involved both his arms and legs so he wouldn't harm Jake.

"Bells, dad and I are staying in a hotel, so I'll see you tomorrow." Jake said as Edward helped me into the hallway.

"Ok. See you tomorrow Jake." I said. He leaned down and brushed his lips over my forehead.

"Don't die tonight ok?" he joked. Edward stiffened.

"I'll try." I answered sarcastically.

"Bye Bells!" He called as he left.

Edward helped me up the stairs silently; he seemed to be contemplating something.

As he helped me to the bed and lay down with me he seemed to make up his mind.

"Edward?" I called. His fingers drifted over my arm, raising goose bumps. He smiled at my reaction and said, "Yes love?"

"What was that whole scene about?" I asked quietly.

He tensed, "Nightworlder stuff."

I frowned up at him and his green eyes turned a stormy color, "But Jake's a human." Edward chuckled.

"Oh Bella I don't think so."

"What?" I was feeling sick now, was everyone I knew a Nightworlder?

"Bella love, he's a Werewolf."

"No." I objected, "He can't be. He's human. I watched him grow up! We spent every day of our lives together. I would have known." Jake was not a Werewolf! He couldn't be!

"Bella you couldn't have known. And he is a Werewolf, love. That's why we were both so territorial. He thinks he has a claim on you, and I know I do." he said in a defiant voice.

"But….I never saw him change." I whispered.

"Of course you didn't Bella. We thought you were human, we would never have told you."

"But you said Werewolves ate people. Jake doesn't eat people." I insisted.

"They can live on animals just as we do Bella." Edward said patiently.

I was frozen. Jake was a werewolf, Edward was a Vampire, and I was a Witch. All we needed was a Shape-shifter and we would be a complete quartet of Nightworlders!

"Bella?" Edward called hesitantly

"Yes Love?" I asked distractedly, still contemplating the fact that I had been part of the Night World all my life.

"Why didn't you tell him about me?" he sounded troubled, and more then a little hurt. He didn't have to clarify who "he" was.

"We didn't send many letters, I didn't tell him anything really. I was going to tell him, have you two meet when he got here. I was going to introduce him to you tomorrow but he kind of ruined that plan." I said, disgruntled.

"How?" he asked, still troubled.

"He told me that he loved me and asked me to come back to Phoenix." I whispered

"Oh." Edward said quietly, in the dead tone I knew meant he was scared as hell.

"But I told him no. I told him I was staying here, because of you. Because I loved you." I turned to face him.

"Oh." He said, this time in a practically jubilant voice.

I laughed, "I told you that you wouldn't get rid of me that easily."

"And I told you I would never want to."

I smiled then fell asleep to his gentle humming as he pressed me against his chest.

EPOV

I could feel him before I could see him. Jacob Black. The Werewolf who was determined to steal My Bella. I slipped out of the bed quietly, laying Bella against the pillows. She murmured my name and her eyelids fluttered.

"Shh, go back to sleep Love. I'll be right back." I assured her. She burrowed into the bed and fell back to sleep.

I smiled at the sight of her, the girl I would die for. I loved her so much, more then I thought I could ever love someone.

Slipping out of her room and out of the house took approximately two seconds, due to the enhanced speed of my kind and my ability.

"Jacob Black." I called quietly, unable to keep the hatred out of my voice any longer.

"Edward Cullen." he called back as he approached me.

We sized each other up, knowing that this discussion may very well come to a fight,

"Stay away from her." He said finally.

I laughed, "I won't do that. She loves me and I her. I won't leave her under any circumstances."

"I won't ask you again Cullen, leave her alone. She is mine." he said again, his face frozen into an emotionless mask.

"No, I will not. She chose me, I'm not stupid Jacob Black. I'm here until she orders me away" I said. Bella would chose me, she already had.

"She loves me too. She always has." He said indignantly.

"But she chose me Jacob Black, and I assure you I do intend to protect her. She is my mate, so leave her be." I threatened.

"Stay away from her leech, or there will be consequences." he threatened. I held back a laugh.

"Don't threaten me Pup. She has chosen me; don't you respect her enough to respect her wishes?"

"Don't tell me what Bella wants! I know her better then you do! She doesn't know what you are!" He spat.

"Yes she does actually, and she knows what you are too." I said, grinning at the surprised look on his face, "Oh yes Jacob Black, she knows what I am, yet she chose me anyway."

I heard Bella stirring and I turned to Jacob, "She is your friend, so I won't tell her she can't see you, but if you so much as scratch her I will kill you. I claim her here and now as my mate until both of us perish." and with that final word, I glided to the tree and through Bella's window.

"What was that?" she asked, sitting up in the bed. She was glaring at me now, so I knew she had heard at least the end of the conversation.

"Clearing up things." I said as I gathered her into my arms. She sighed,

"I love you Edward, but I love Jacob too. He's been my best friend all my life."

I nodded, "I know, i'm not saying you can't see him. I'm just warning him that you are my mate. He is forbidden to make advances on you or to turn you by Night world law. Not that he could anyway, because of your Witch blood, but still."

She nodded and snuggled into my chest saying "we'll talk about this tomorrow."

I sighed, but watched her as she fell into a deep sleep and thanked the heavens that she loved me.

BPOV

I woke up more alert then normal the next morning, mostly because the pair of arms that I had fallen asleep in weren't there anymore. I looked around my bedroom and found him sitting on the window seat, looking out at the dawn. I got up as quietly as I could, but he must have heard me because he wiped his eyes and looked up at me.

"Good morning." He called, clearing his throat to get rid of the tears in his voice.

"Oh Edward." I sighed, hugging him around the neck.

"I'm fine." he mumbled. But he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my hair anyway. I just held him, knowing that this was what he needed. He needed to feel me close to him, to feel that I was still here. Still Alive.

"Edward, talk to me." I pleaded after a while.

He looked into my eyes and tried to hide the fear that filled his own.

"There's nothing to talk about Bella." He insisted. I sighed and pushed myself away from him.

"Do you remember the conversation we had yesterday?" I asked, sitting at the foot of my bed.

"I remember every conversation we've had." He replied, looking away from me to the pictures hung around the room. There were a few additions since we moved in. A Picture of the whole group on my desk, one of Edward and I on my bedside table. One of Alice, Rose and I that hung on the door. A collage of other pictures of the eight of us hung on the wall beside my book shelves. There were candid photos of all of us, odd groupings, and different backgrounds. It showed a happier time, a less complicated time. And I missed it, the endless hours of just hanging out here or at the Cullen's. No time limits, no worries.

"Edward, it's your turn to be Lois Lane." I whispered.

His eyes snapped to mine, and a cold fury lit them like fireworks in a forth of July sky.

"Really Bella? Do you really want me to tell you what's going on in my head?" He asked in a cold, flat voice.

"Yes." I said firmly.

"Ok. I'm so afraid that every second I have with you will be my last." He looked away again, "I'm so used to being able to save everyone that it's a shock that the one person I would give everything to save, is going to die anyway. I love you so much that every time your temperature spikes or I see you grimace in pain, I feel like someone is wrenching my heart out in the slowest most painful way possible." He was breathing hard now, and I was trying to catch his eye to tell him everything would be ok, but he wasn't done yet.

"And I'm so angry that no matter what I say to you, you keep hiding things from me. You won't tell me when you're hurting; you won't tell me when you're scared. You want to protect me. And it makes me feel worse because being the protector is my job, a job in which I failed. I failed Bella, I failed in protecting you." I didn't try to interrupt him yet, but I was fuming. It was okay for him to hide things from me, but not the other way around? He continued, "And then …and then this Jake comes around. This boy who is as important to you as I am, and he doesn't even know I exist until you have to tell him. Did you really not want to hurt him Bella, or is there something going on between the two of you that I should know about? Or is it that you're ashamed of me, ashamed to be dating a Vampire?"

He turned to look at me now, and the cold fury was gone, replaced by a toss up of emotions that I had never seen before. There was a sort of dread, as though he couldn't bear to hear what I had to say, but couldn't live without knowing. And there was fear too, he was scared that I was ashamed of him, that I truly did love Jacob in some way other then as a friend. And a misery, for a job he felt as though he failed, a job no one but himself had given.

"Edward Cullen." I said slowly, shaking my head. "You are the most absurd boy I have ever met in my entire life. I Love You. I love you more then life itself. Why on earth would I be ashamed of you? There is nothing to be ashamed of in the first place. You are kind, and loving, and trustworthy and everything that every girl wants in a boy. How could I be ashamed of you?" I asked. A little of the dread died, a little of the misery too.

"Edward no one told you that you had to protect me. I want you to love me, to trust me, to tell me everything, not just protect me from getting hurt. Edward you can't expect me to tell you how I feel if you won't tell me how you feel. Give and take love. Its got to be equal, or it isn't fair to anyone." He nodded, but looked away from me, knowing what question would be answered now. The question I had left for last on purpose.

"I Love You. Do you know what those words mean to me Edward? They mean that you and only you hold every little piece of my heart in your hands. You are the first person and the last person I will ever love in a romantic way. Jake and Emmett and Jasper hold a different place in my heart. They are boys who I could trust with my life, who I could tell anything to and know that they will believe me. But I will never love them as I love you. You are my best friend and my whole world. I would walk through fire to make sure you are safe and happy. I would do almost anything for my friends, all of them, but I would give my life for yours. Does that answer your questions?"

Silence filled the room. It was a heavy, sour sort of silence that settles on everyone and everything until it suffocates you. I had said all that I could to convince Edward, and now the ball was in his court. I didn't know what would happen now, where we would go from here. I was dieing, I had a limited amount of time to make sure that everyone who was important to me knew that they were, and the boy in front of me was the most important.

"Ok." He said. I looked up at him, waiting for the rest.

"I understand how you feel and I agree that it isn't fair for me to expect you to be honest with me if I can't be honest with you. And I understand that you didn't tell Jake about me because you didn't want to make him feel alienated. And I understand how important to you I am, and I want you to know that's exactly how important you are to me. I'm sorry Bella, I'm so sorry I've doubted you, and that I haven't confided in you like I should have." He looked at me again, and this time there was a joy, and a hope shining in his eyes.

"I love you." I said simply, knowing that it would explain everything.

"I love you too Bella." he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine and I tasted the salt from my tears and his on his lips.

"I'm scared." he whispered against my lips, "I'm so afraid that you're going to die in my arms without knowing how I feel, without knowing how important to me you are."

"I'm scared too, but we can't let that stop us." I whispered back. He smiled and kissed me again, pushing me back lightly into the bed. He was leaning over me and an impish smile played around the corner of his lips. I smiled back and grabbed the front of his t-shirt, pulling him to me. He laughed and pressed his lips against mine again, his tongue tracing the line of my lips. I gasped and he took the opportunity to let his tongue explore my mouth. I stifled another gasp; he had never done this before, insisting that I was too fragile. He explored every crevice of my mouth and I reveled in the feeling.

"Wow, now we know why she's getting sick faster, you're stealing all her energy for your own sick purposes." An all too familiar voice called from the door.

Edward disengaged himself from me and sat up, shielding my body with his.

"I mean I knew leeches were sick, but macking on the girl you "love" and stealing the energy she needs to live is just more sick then I thought Vamps were capable of." Jake said in a disgusted tone.

"Oh shut up Jake, I have plenty of energy." I called; disgruntled that he had ruined the best kiss of my life. I got up and stretched, bones and joints aching a bit but nothing like before. I sighed knowing that the blinding pain would come back eventually.

"Sure, sure Bella. And when he sucks the life out of you, what then?" Jake asked bitterly. I could feel Edward's cold fury staring to rise again so I took action.

Stepping in front of Jake I glared at him, "He loves me Jake, he would never do that. Besides, I kissed him. It isn't his fault. And it isn't any of your business anyway." I reminded him. Jake looked at me as though he had never met me before then said,

"Bella, when he finally tries to kill you, don't expect me to hold back." Then he left the room.

I sighed and threw myself down on the bed, staring up at the dark blue star covered ceiling.

"Bella, love?" Edward called quietly after a little while.

I turned to look at him and smiled lazily all thoughts of Jacob erased by the hope of kissing Edward again, "Um hmm?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. He's right, stealing the little bit of energy you have so that I can kiss you really is…" He trailed off at the sight of the death glare I was giving him.

"Don't apologize for something we both wanted." I said coldly. My voiced thawed a little however when I said, "You did….want it though right?" I was uncertain, maybe the real reason he had never kissed me like that before was because he didn't want to.

He chuckled, "You silly overly self-conscious girl, of course I wanted it. I feel like every guy we know besides Jasper and Emmett are vying for my position, waiting for me to do something so stupid that you leave me."

I rolled my eyes and he grinned, "Want me to name a few, some you know, but others might surprise you."

I just looked away.

"Bella, I want you, so badly. I just don't want to hurt you."

I turned back to look at him, and the look in his eyes startled me because it was one of pure unbridled lust. It made me want to giggle, and one escaped from my lips before I could reign it in.

He smiled an amused smile and the lust dimmed some what, but didn't disappear.

I rolled towards him and pressed my lips to his neck, "I want you too." I whispered. I let my lips travel up his neck to the little hallow beneath his ear. I let my lips rest there and he closed his eyes. "I can't tell you how much I want you."

He groaned, "And on that note, I think we should leave before I do something really stupid that I will beat myself for later." And he sprang up from the bed.

It was my turn to groan and he looked sharply at me, "Where does it hurt Bella?"

I smiled, "I'm not hurt Edward, I feel teased."

He laughed, "Now you know how I feel everyday."