AN: Whoops! Someone has been forgetting to update here as well as Twilighted! My apologies!

Part two of four in this first epilogue!

Let's address a few questions: NO, there is no Nessie in this story... Not this arc, anyway. Promise!

Music: I am slowing building a playlist for this fanfic, where you'll be able to sample and stream songs that influenced the writing. In addition, there will be a soundtrack for this arc. I'll have that up ASAP but I'm juggling work and two fics at once. Bear with me!

As always Meyer owns all things Twilight. You all rock too, especially when you push me forward when stuck with hilarious kind or insightful reviews :)

A few songs relevant to the fic: Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequin; A Million Ways To Be Cruel - OK Go; Springtime in Vienna - The Tragically Hip; The Wretched - NIN; Natural Blues - Moby; My Junk - Spring Awakening cast; Early Winter - Gwen Stefani; June Gloom - The Like; Terrible Thought - Poe; Quietly - Guano Apes


Suspicious Minds Part 2: A Million Ways To Be Cruel...

"It had been a long day, with NA and work, and Edward and I rolled a joint and kicked back with old episodes of South Park. You were over at Jasper's that night, I think. Anyway, I doze off somewhere between eleven and two am, when Edward's cell rings. I hear him answer the phone, then immediately he whispers, 'Why are you calling me now?'. A few seconds later he says, 'Well she's here so I can't talk' and a little after that he says, 'Tomorrow then'. I remember him returning to bed and curling up with me, and then I fell back asleep. In the morning, I tell him I swear I heard a phone ring and he denies it."

Alice frowned, fiddling with the black laces of her corset-front top, "Hmm. Not great, but not too awful. Any other calls?"

Bella nods, "Two others, very similar sorts of conversations. You know – 'can't talk, Bella's around'. Nothing more than that. I've never mentioned them to him. I haven't had the guts to check his call display after them, either."

Alice hummed low, contemplating this information, "What if a friend is calling and he is telling them to go away because he doesn't want to wake you?"

"What friend, though? That's why I'm so confused!" Bella moaned, curling her knees to her chest.

"I'm just saying, Bella. It might not be so bad. There are notes too?"

Bella nodded, "I've found a couple of scraps of paper with addresses and times on them, but no names, no phone numbers, no business name... Just... They give me a weird vibe. And the second one I stumbled onto while helping Edward pack up his massive CD collection, and he promptly took it away from me, crumpling it up and insisting it was 'old garbage'. And when you add all that in with his constant 'errands' and outings..."

"It reeks of something being hidden from you," Alice finished, reaching out and placing a hand on Bella's knee, "I won't lie; it sounds like he's keeping something from you. But it could be something other than another woman. I mean, did you recognize the addresses?"

Bella frowned, "No, not at all."

"Then is it possible they're Boston addresses, or even for local movers or storage places?"

Bella paused, mulling this over, "Maybe. It would make sense. But what about the calls?"

Alice shrugged, "Like I said, maybe it was just a friend calling and he didn't want to wake you."

"Friends calling at two in the morning?" Bella asked incredulously.

"I call you at two and sometimes later!" Alice laughed.

Bella nodded, "True. Okay, so I shouldn't assume it's bad, but it could be, right?"

Alice frowned, "Maybe. But you're never going to know unless -"

"Unless I talk to him. And I will! It's just so hard, Alice... I mean, what if I'm right? What am I going to do if... If he..." Bella's voice trailed away, and she buried her face in her hands.

Alice threw her tiny arms around Bella, squeezing tightly, "Then you will go to Harvard, be a genius, meet hot law students and we will KILL Edward Cullen. See? Simple."

Bella laughed in spite of herself, embracing Alice, "You always make it sound so easy."

"I make everything transparent; it's my gift!" Alice exclaimed, slowly rising to her feet and dusting off her black capris, "Now, you coming back down?"

"In a moment. I need to calm down or Edward will freak out."

Alice nodded, heading for the door, "See you downstairs then. And Bella?"

Bella glanced to the door, where Alice stood, smiling, "Mmhmm?"

"TALK to the man. Seriously. And let me know if you need me to fetch Jasper's baseball bat."

Bella laughed, "I will. I promise."

Alice slipped through the large steel door which shut with a loud thump that jarred Bella slightly. Breathing in deeply, she forced herself to hold her breath and focus on calming herself. Alice has a valid reason for everything. Bella exhaled slowly, staring out over the unusually sunny day in Forks, the miserable weather capital of the United States. Only way to know for sure is to ask him. Tonight. Taking another deep breath, Bella's mind drifted back to another time on the roof, another overdue conversation, and she found herself smiling slightly, remembering the way Edward had pulled her against him, how his lips had collided with hers in a breathless wonder, how terrified she'd been until he had accepted her words and returned them in spite of the pain she'd caused him that day.

He loves me so much. I can't lie and say he doesn't love me. There has to be an explanation. There has to be.

Jacob leaned against the spiral staircase to the second floor, watching the busty brunette in the pale pink halter and black mini struggle to ring through a 2 CD purchase under Rose's exasperated watch. It was like watching a monkey attempt to solve a quadratic equation; sure, he might actually scribble characters resembling the answer, but chances were he'd just eat the damn chalk. Jacob was certain if Jessica believed flirting with the cash register would make it work for her, she'd be one step away from removing her top to succeed. Why Carlisle had even bothered, he couldn't say. Her taste in music was hopelessly commercial, and she flirted with every guy she saw, taken or otherwise. She would never blend into this crowd.

Then again, I shoplifted and held the place at gunpoint and Carlisle hired me, so whoever said his judgement was sound?

Jacob watched Rosalie wince as Jessica slipped in some horrid compilation of hit singles, flooding the store with the wretch that was Soulja Boy's Crank Dat. God, didn't this girl have any sense of quality at all? Jacob rolled his eyes, almost heading for the stereo to shut her down with a veto, but he then thought better of it. I should screw with this bimbo... Maybe show her the error of her ways...

With a wink at Rosalie, Jacob sauntered up to the counter and smiled at Jessica, who was merrily singing along with her drivel, "Hey Jess, how's training going?"

Jessica beamed, "It's hard, but I think I'm getting it. Don't you think so, Rosalie?"

Rosalie feigned the biggest smile she could, "Oh sure, Jessica. You're getting it."

Jacob smiled, "That's good. You pick the music, Jess?"

"Yes! I love this song!"

Jacob leaned forward on the counter, chuckling to himself as Jessica sang along with the line he loved to point out to oblivious girly fans, "You want Soulja Boy to Superman you, huh?"

From the corner of his eye, Jacob saw Rosalie clasp her hand over her mouth, her pale face turning scarlet as she suppressed a laugh at Jessica's enthusiastic nodding in reply. This was too easy. I should have gone to get a sheet first. With a wink, Jacob waves Jessica closer to him, a conspiratorial grin crossing his lips.

"So if someone you knew, like a male coworker perhaps, offered to Superman you, would you be interested?"

Jessica winked, "Depends on how tall, dark and handsome he is."

Jacob grinned, "That's wonderful to hear! You know how hard it is to find a girl willing to be demeaned that way? God, I have been waiting months to break in my new sheets and see how they stick."

Jessica's face wrinkled in confusion, "Uh... Sheets stick?"

"Sure they do, when you let a load go on her back and slap it on. So, when are we going to get down to this Superman business? How about tonight?"

Jessica's cheeks flushed bright red, "Um, EW. You do WHAT?"

Jacob smiled, "What, Jess? You do know what 'Superman dat ho' means, don't you?"

Too freaking easy, Jacob crowed inwardly as Jessica glanced at her shoes, then quietly excused herself for the washroom. Watching her scamper away, Rosalie finally let loose with a series of giggles that fast became contagious, leaving them both scarcely able to speak as a James Dean wannabe strolled up to the counter, several Depeche Mode vinyls in hand. Gasping for air, Rosalie manged to stammer out a greeting, stumbling to the cash register and accepting his purchases, flipping her hair back with one final laugh and a gasp for air. His work done, Jacob wandered back towards the metal section, where several boxes awaited his packing attention. Kids today...

"You're still not buying this indefinite retirement, are you?"

Jasper frowned, "No Edward, I'm not. I simply think this is Trent Reznor's way of evolving and moving away from the name and fan expectations associated with the Nine Inch Nails brand."

"Your shirt says 'Wave Goodbye', dude," Emmett pointed out, chuckling.

"Wave goodbye to Nine Inch Nails! He's never said that he himself will not make music. He only said that Nine Inch Nails itself would be on indefinite hiatus. Although I have to admit that The Slip, with how it came around full circle to throwback to Pretty Hate Machine, felt like a 'the circle is closed' sort of album. But that has no bearing on Trent as an individual."

Edward nodded, letting out a low whistle, "God damn, do you guys realize that Pretty Hate Machine came out right around when I was born? I feel old now."

"You feel old? Imagine how the fans who've been there since moment one feel! They're approaching mosh pit geezer status!" Emmett laughed.

"As great as the final shows were, with the crazy sets of rarities, I feel sorry for people our age who only recently found the band. Hell, I feel sorry for myself. I only saw them three times."

"Poor Jasper!" Emmett cooed, reaching out to pat him on the head, sending Jasper playfully throwing Emmett into a headlock, one he shook off easily.

"For the teens of the grunge era, this is on par with the loss of Kurt Cobain, folks. Can you imagine losing a part of the soundtrack of your youth? Think about that," Edward mused aloud, "We're all passionate about music here. I have no idea how I would feel if Jarvis Cocker retired, or if Maynard James Keenan died. I've lived and breathed A Perfect Circle and Tool in some of my more angsty moments. For better or worse, that music has shaped everything I am. You guys know what I mean?"

Emmett nodded, "It would be like... a world without Moby. Play blew my mind as a kid, and I've been hooked ever since."

Jasper nodded, "Trent was my soundtrack. I used to blast The Downward Spiral when my folks would start up, drown them out with a little industrial and a lot of profanity. As Trent ditched the drugs and wrote more politically, it sent me to the web to learn more about those issues. He and the Manic Street Preachers."

Edward nodded, "God, yes. The Holy Bible alone was such a brilliant statement of an album, and fantastic moshing material to boot."

"They have a new track. Did I spin that yet for you?" Emmett asked.

"Really? How is it?" Jasper asked.

"Pretty decent. I still think their older material is better, but it's a tight rocking political track."

"Green Day's gone super-political now too. Who'd have thought the guys who sang 'When masturbation's lost its fun, you're fucking breaking' would churn out sociopolitical rock operas?" Edward exclaimed.

"Man, who'd have thought they'd turn American Idiot into an actual piece of theatre?" Jasper countered with a chuckle, "Now there is a piece of theatre I won't mind Alice dragging me to, if only to say 'I saw the musical based on an album by the guys who wrote Basket Case'. Speaking of, where is she?"

Edward shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe with Bella?"

"She didn't go to the store, did she? She's supposed to take me with her."

"I don't think so."

Edward sighed inwardly. Jasper was smothering Alice, and a free spirit like her wouldn't tolerate it for much longer, even with his perfectly loving intentions. Edward was the first to admit that they all could be guilty of sheltering Alice from time to time and, for the most part, Alice seemed receptive, taking it as kindness and love. But Jasper's reluctance to allow Alice to do anything by herself was bordering on obsession. He'd tried several times to suggest he lay off, but then Jasper would say, 'What if it was Bella in that alley?' and Edward would give up. If Bella had been... Well, Edward would probably be worse, and he knew it. He'd be a stalker by any definition. Bella would already be living with him, to ensure she slept safely, with Edward keeping a crazed vigil out of fear. Fiddling with his burgundy hoodie's strings, Edward glanced around and caught sight of Alice skipping out from the back lounge, her new short hair and the large collection of bracelets upon her scarred wrist the only signs of change from the Alice of happier days. The glittering butterfly barettes in her hair and adorning her choker shimmered as she skipped over to the group, the black laces of her corset front top swishing as she walked into what would inevitably be another Jasper panic fit.

"Hey guys! Whatcha up to?" Alice exclaimed cheerily.

"The music of our life soundtracks," Edward declared, nervously stepping back slightly as Jasper noticeably tensed.

"Where were you?" Jasper asked, attempting to soften his voice and failing miserably.

Alice groaned, "Well, I went for air on the roof with Bella. And then we talked. After that I walked down twelve stairs and then took approximately 18 steps to enter the staff washroom, where I untied these cute black capris I scored for $60 and pulled them down along with my lacy black thong -"

"I don't need that much detail, Alice," Jasper groaned.

Silence, and a staring match. Edward had seen this before, and the best thing to do was bail, and bail quickly. Tapping Emmett's arm, Edward jerked his head towards the staff lounge.

"Bella's about due for her break and I'm starving too. Mind covering while I take her out for lunch? I think she's freaking over Boston."

"Sure man; it's pretty tame here today and Esme can always run interference," Emmett said, smiling as he pointed out their boss planting a kiss on their new assistant manager among the Classical EPs upstairs.

"That would be incredibly thoughtful, Edward," Alice piped up.

"Thoughtful like not panicking your boyfriend?" Jasper muttered.

"Outside. NOW," Alice snapped, storming through the glass doors with a fury Edward had never seen.

As Jasper slowly followed, rubbing his temples, Emmett groaned, "Here we go again... This never ends well."

"And hell hath no fury like a pixie scorned. I'll be back in an hour or so man. Ring my cell if anything comes up."

"Sure, Eddie..." Emmett replied, his voice trailing off as his eyes locked onto Rosalie's latest flirt fest.

Emmett slowly circled closer to the far counter, absently eyeing the stacks of concert announcements and 'closed for renovation' flyers and tinkering with their placement, watching as some Cool Hand Luke type leaned on the counter, chatting in a low voice that Emmett knew far too well now as Rosalie giggled, running a hand through her hair and allowing it to fall messily atop her bare shoulders. The conversation was hard to hear, but it was obvious what his intentions were. And, as usual, she was encouraging his attention, much to Jessica's chagrin.

"... So my buddy owns this little bar in Port Angeles, and uh, we play sometimes... good crowds..."

"...listen to just any music, especially.... so far from home..."

"I promise, I'll make it worth the drive.... drinks..." Cool Hand said with a wink.

Rosalie giggled, "Oh you will, huh?"

Cool Hand grinned, leaning closer, which triggered Emmett's fists balling tight, "Absolutely... food is great... make sure you get tucked into bed..."

Rosalie shook her head, smiling, "Heard that one before... can't handle...."

Emmett grimaced as Cool Hand reached out for the pen on the counter, scrawling his number on a flyer and slipping it back at Rosalie, who winked and folded it into a small square. With a final sly smile, Cool Hand picked up his bag of vinyls and strolled towards the door, chuckling to himself as he stepped out into the rare sunny day unfolding in Forks. Emmett returned to Rose, who tossed the square of paper at Jessica, scooping her hair into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, soft tendrils tumbling along her neck.

She didn't keep it. Again. Emmett frowned, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. But she always encourages them. And what does she do on days you're not working? Making his way along the counter, his eyes locked with Rosalie, who beamed and ushered him closer with a single finger. And she knows the power she has over me, damn it.

"Hey handsome! I haven't seen you in at least an hour."

"Who was that loser? Reject from a music video extra casting call?" Emmett grumbled.

Jessica sighed in that annoying dreamy fashion twelve year-olds reserved for the Jonas Brothers, "That was Adrian. He plays bass in a band, and his friends own a bar! He must be at least 25. And my GOD he was hot! What the hell is he doing in Forks and can I be his tour guide? Not that he wants me..."

Emmett swallowed hard, "Yeah, I noticed."

Rosalie laughed, "Emm, he was pathetic. Such a sleaze fake. Jessica, you've got his number. Call him and make an offer. Take a break even, far, far away from the counter."

Jessica squealed, causing Emmett to wince as she swore to return in five minutes and scampered away, cell phone in hand, her miniskirt barely covering her upper thighs as she bounced into the staff lounge. Rosalie smiled, exhaling loudly.

"Finally! God, I thought I'd never be rid of Barbie. She's wretched. I plan to get her fired ASAP. Shouldn't be very difficult; she has the IQ of George W. Bush halved."

"Mmhmm," Emmett mumbled, still wrestling with the image of Rosalie chatting with the dreamy Adrian, bassist in some small-time band.

Rosalie frowned, her hand reaching out for Emmett's face, tilting it to meet her eyes, "Hey babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Rose, not really..."

"Not really means 'very'. Emm, please tell me. My happiness is tied to yours. I hate seeing you sad; it's worse than..."

Emmett's eyes widened, "Worse than what?"

Rosalie sighed, "Other things. Things I don't... Stop deflecting. What's wrong?"

Emmett sighed, "I guess it just gets to me."

"What?"

"The guys, Rose. The phone numbers and innuendos and conversations..."

Rose's eyes narrowed, "I throw them all away, Emmett. I don't care about them."

"But you encourage it..."

"Emm, you know I'm yours... don't you?"

Her eyes clouded over and Emmett broke away, unable to face the damage done. Does she really not comprehend what she does, and how it looks? With a shake of his head, Emmett turned away, heading back to the endless boxes to stack in the back.

"Forget it. Forget... Just forget. Nevermind."

"Emm?" Her voice was fragile, faint with worry and confusion.

Emmett walked away quickly, struggling not to cry, unsure whether those tears would be born of guilt for Rose's saddened face, regret for bringing the issue up or fear that in spite of her front, they were inevitably doomed if the right guy strolled in with a good line. He needed to think, long and hard about this. And then... He needed to talk with Doctor Carlisle, staff shrink.

Alice's eyes flashed with anger as she pivoted near the treeline behind the store, her face flushing pink. I have had it! I cannot live with this anymore, even if he means well. No more! Seeking out Jasper's face, she found a mixture of frustration and regret and in that found a hope that maybe he could begin to understand that there was a fine line between protective and controlling.

"Alright Jasper, let's hear it. Why are you mad at me now?"

Jasper frowned, "I'm not mad, Alice, just frustrated! You disappear for half an hour, without any warning, and -"

"And I was on the roof of the store! With Bella! In daylight! What could happen to me there, Jazz? And since when did I need your permission to leave a five foot radius of your being?"

Jasper sighed, exasperated, "You know how I worry when I'm not sure where you are, and I'd like to think I am warranted in worrying after what happened. Pardon me for loving you, Alice. I'll try harder to be indifferent the next time you wake up screaming."

"Screw you!" Alice snapped, "How dare you do that? How dare you bring up my nightmares in a discussion about your obsession over my whereabouts as if that somehow justifies it? It's not the same thing, and you know that."

"Do I?" Jasper asked angrily, "Do you understand at all that... things happen in daylight too? Not just night?"

"Things?" Alice asked, burying her hands in her short spiky hair and tugging, willing herself not to scream, "For god's sake Jazz, at least use the word. It wasn't a thing. I was assaulted and nearly RAPED. Rape, rape, rape! It's a four-letter word but there's nothing vulgar about calling it what it was. Why is everyone so afraid to say what happened?"

Jasper shrugged, "Maybe we don't want to remind you of exactly what happened, in case it upsets you?"

"Oh I don't need a reminder; I remember just fine, every day I wake up and see my hair, or my wrist, and remember why. I worry about who's around every corner, or who will walk into the store, or -"

"And that is why I worry! Because I'm afraid too! I can't let anything happen to you, Alice, not ever again!" Jasper shouted, his eyes tearing up.

"But you're not protecting me! You're smothering me! And it feels..."

Jasper reached for her hand, wincing as Alice pulled back from him, "Feels like what? Alice, damn it, why-?"

Alice shook her head, her voice cracking, "Not giving me a right to take care of myself, to choose when I need help? Jazz... You make me feel as pathetic and powerless as that asshole did. And it hurts, more than I can say."

Jasper's jaw fell open, "Alice..."

"I have to go. Now."

Alice stormed away, her white sandals clicking along the pavement as she threw open the door of Jasper's Civic, the keys quickly pulled from her pocket as she gunned the engine, nearly overheating it as she threw it in gear. A slight squeal pierced the silence between them as she veered onto the main drag, cranking the stereo high as she sped towards the supermarket downtown. Her fingers drummed along with the melody playing, an uptempo beat that propelled her forward, away from Jasper before she said something far worse than she already had. Her voice cracking as tears began to fall, she sang along softly, unwilling to admit that for all her bravado, being alone right now terrified her beyond words.

"Past whispers in the closet
Past screaming from the rooftops
We live to survive our paradoxes..."

Bella was feeling a little better, in spite of her natural propensity to worry. Edward had swooped into the staff lounge as she exited the bathroom, her make-up carefully touched up to hide the scattering of tears from the roof, and announced he wanted to take her out for a lunch. The smile on his face sent her heart into its now familiar skipping pattern, and she'd nodded, reaching for her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. He'd led her out the front doors, the sounds of Alice and Jasper shouting beyond the back door deterring their usual exit. Bella made a mental note to check in later with both of them and see what she could do to smooth things over; it was the very least she could do for Alice. After all, hadn't she assured Bella that things weren't as bad as they seemed?

And so far, they seemed perfect. As Edward had turned the key, the familiar strains of one of her favourite Jack's Mannequin songs had flooded the Volvo, eliciting a small smile from her as they made their way to the cafe two blocks away.

"Listening to my tunes again?" Bella asked.

"Hey, he writes lovely piano pop-rock. Plus, I owe him my ears after what he's done for me."

"And what did he do, from the comfort of his rock star life?" Bella asked.

"He wrote the song that won me you, that's what. Someday, maybe I'll get to meet him and shake his hand," Edward replied, his own hand reaching out to caress her cheek softly.

Bella had smiled, her hand finding its usual place upon his knee, squeezing lightly as Andrew's voice filled their ears.

"This flood is slowly rising up, swallowing the ground beneath my feet
Tell me how anybody thinks under this condition
So I'll swim, I'll swim as the water rises up
The sun is sinking down and now all I can see are the planets in a row..."

"Is Renee still insisting on flying out to Boston?" Edward asked, interrupting Bella's trance.

"Oh yes, she is. I keep telling her that I can open boxes all by myself like a big girl, but she won't hear it."

Edward chuckled, "That's alright; more hands, less work, more time to get to know our new home base. Are you excited?"

Bella bit her lip, "I am. I'm nervous, of course, what with the speed issue..."

Edward nodded, "I know, but you really underestimate yourself, Bella. You're gifted and you will do just fine. I'll help you, and I've already looked up your NA group options. You've got tons of support, no matter what."

"Even if I flunk out?"

Edward's hand covered hers, fingers interlacing loosely as he pulled into the cafe's lot, "Absolutely. You can drop out and mock me as I attempt to juggle medicine part time and composition full time. You can even point as you laugh."

Their lunch stretched out over veggie burgers and fries to discussion of the Boston music scene's offerings, which led to Amanda Palmer, which then led Bella into a rant about the rejection of her music video on the grounds that she was somehow 'fat' despite having a perfectly slender body, a rant that took her mind entirely off of all the nonsense and worries about the phone calls and notes...

Until Edward's cell phone rang.

Glancing at the display, Edward smiled sheepishly, "I've got to take this, sweetheart. So sorry. One moment."

Bella picked anxiously at her food as Edward paced a short distance away, alternately nervous and smiling as he spoke with the mystery caller. He spoke quietly, making it impossible to hear him over the din of the late lunch crowd and only amplifying Bella's worries to their former fever pitch. With a decisive slam of the flip phone, Edward tucked it back into the pocket of his tan khakis and returned to the table.

"I'm afraid I have to wrap up quickly and run a last-minute errand, Bella. I'm sorry. I'll drop you at the store before I go."

Bella frowned, "Can't I come?"

Edward shook his head, "Carlisle will have my head if we're both gone too long, especially today with all of the packing. I promise it won't take long," he declared, leaning over the table to press his lips to her forehead.

What is he keeping from me?! Bella heard herself shriek in her mind.

"Well, I'm not too hungry, so if you want, we could get this to go and you can run off now?" Bella offered.

I can't eat when Edward might be running off to some other girlfriend for a last... whatever he's doing.

"You know, that's a good idea. I'll get back to the store faster. You're so thoughtful, Bella; it's one of the many things I love about you."

Edward flagged their server quickly, and things flashed by in a blur, the check coming and going and boxes suddenly on the table, with Edward's hand outstrectched to hers. With an involuntary shiver of anxiety, Bella accepted, rising slowly, praying not to faint from her pounding heart and the terrible constriction in her chest.

"Are you cold?" Edward asked, "Here, take this."

Stripping off his burgundy hoodie, leaving himself clad in a simple long-sleeved black shirt, Edward held it out for Bella. Not knowing how else to explain her shuddering without betraying her growing fears, Bella accepted, mumbling about being 'thin-skinned'. Edward drew her close, pulling her against him and kissing her gently, his fingers tangling in her loose waves. Suddenly desperate to feel loved, to love him, Bella pressed her mouth against him, the kiss deepening as Bella's arms snaked around Edward's neck, his own hands drifting to her ass, the two of them oblivious to their surroundings until a passing teenager hooted and whistled, sending Bella gasping and giggling, her face flushed.

"Where did that came from?" Edward asked softly.

"I just... I love you, so much," Bella whispered.

"I love you too... Words can't ever express it properly."

Edward took her hand, walking her to the car and holding her door open for her, as he always had, even in friendship. Slipping into the leather seat, Bella choked down a sob welling up in her throat. You don't know what's going on! Stop it! Their drive was silent, save for the music, which allowed Bella to breathe her way out of her anxiety enough to manage to say goodbye without crying, without begging Edward to love her always, to never leave her. With a smile, he waved and drove off, leaving her clutching the bag of take-out and her purse. A sudden gust of wind sent a chill down her spine – or was it the thought of their love collapsing? - and Bella slipped her hands into the pockets of the hoodie, seeking warmth...

What's this?

Bella pulled her right hand from the pocket and withdrew a small folded slip of paper. A brief hesitation held her from unfolding it, her mind chastising herself for even considering snooping through Edward's things. But it was brief, and soon her trembling fingers flew, her breath catching at the note scrawled upon the page.

Call Skye!!

Next to Skye's name (who the hell is Skye?!) was a small heart. It was Edward's handwriting, unmistakably; only he wrote in such a strange blend of handwriting and block letters. Bella shut her eyes tight, hugging herself as she crumpled the paper in her fist. No. No no no... Please, no.... A song drifted into mind, apt for the moment, and Bella headed for the back doors, singing it softly to herself.

"Oh such grace
Oh such beauty
So precious, suspicious, and charming, and vicious
Oh darlin', you're a million ways to be cruel..."

Alice felt incredibly proud of herself as she gathered up her bags at the checkout. Not only had she managed to stand up to Jasper (even if she had been incredibly harsh, for which she was sorry), but she'd managed to shop alone without any signs of panic. It was a first in a very long while, and she was immensely grateful for the reprieve. And to make things even better, she'd found every single snack and food item she wanted for her party plans for the evening without any difficulty or last minute substitution. Stepping outside, she paused, eyes shut, enjoying the feel of the sunshine upon her bare arms. Things would be fine. She'd go back to the store, sit down with Jasper and hopefully get him to understand that there had to be a balance, and then they'd have the best goodbye party ever for Bella and Edward (who could not be so stupid as to cheat on her best friend). Opening her eyes with a sigh, she stepped towards Jasper's car, nearly colliding with another shopper.

"Whoops!" Alice apologized, "Sorry."

"Alice?" a voice asked, hesitantly.

Alice spun around and felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared down a face she never once imagined seeing again.