Author's Note: Thanks again for sticking with me guys! I can never forget that despite all those amazing fanfics out there, you choose to read mine. Please spread the word if you like this fic.

Thank you for reading and reviews are greatly appreciated. Though cookies will do too :)

However…REVIEW, REVIEW, & REVIEW!

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to LunaKaleidoscope and Danielleteambellaforever for their intriguing reviews. There are so many others I want to dedicate this chapter to but the list would be incredibly long.

I also want to say thanks to katiekrm and wantonlytoread for their fascinating reviews. I know Edward is a very confusing and frustrating guys and the Firefly vs. Renée's Bella thing will be explained further later on. It's just how he sees Bella. To him, she's not the same Bella he knew as a kid. He differentiates them by Firefly and Renée's Bella. You're definitely welcome for writing this controversial fic and you can have your say any day. I love reading people's opinions about my chapter.

An honorable mention to cbmorefie for reviewing every single chapter. Talk about dedication! Thanks a lot and I know I can always count on you for a review. I also love going through your favorites list because when I can't find a fic to read, I know to check out your selection.

I know from the stats graph that this fic is being read in many countries but it's still nice to see them in the reviews so we can keep a tally…a fun little game. So far we have India, Peru, Poland, UK, Israel, Portugal, New Zealand, Croatia, France, Czech Republic, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Ireland, USA, Aruba, and the Netherlands. Thanks for humoring me guys and playing my little game. I can't wait to see all the countries we can come up with.

Thanks to Annabanana94 and lilyisnotmyname for the playlist.

Please check out my new story 'Touch of Chaos'. I'll be updating that soon.

I'm probably going to update sometime this week so stay tuned. I know you've been waiting for this chapter. Hope you enjoy it, Au Revoir!

Playlist for this Chapter:

Never Too Late – Three Days Grace

Tell Me A Secret – Ludacris Ft. Ne-Yo

Chapter 25: Tell Me A Secret

[Bella's POV]

Edward, come back.

The words got stuck in my throat as the sound of the front door banging close echoed in my ears. I wanted to run after him, to plead with him to listen. Instead, I stood frozen in my spot. I could feel whispers rising around me but the increasing pain in my abdomen began to drown them out. I picked out Carlisle and Esme's voices amongst the waves. Carlisle was calling for order while Esme was trying to comfort me. I felt her soft arms wrap around me and Carlisle ask if I was all right.

Unable to take it anymore, I pushed away from them and ran out of the living room. As I rushed down the hallway, the aching lessened because I was physically nearing Edward. When I neared the front of the house, instead of walking out the door, I turned and hurried up the stairs. The pain returned with frenzy but I ignored it.

Once in Edward's room, I grabbed a pair of his sweats and hoodie. Being surrounded by his scent helped alleviate the pain by a fraction but the smallest amount was a big deal. I fell back against his pillow and let myself drown in his sheets and my tears. Curling up on my side, I sobbed and whimpered with every lash of pain, pressing myself further into his pillow. His scent began to overpower the pain and soon I drifted off into darkness.

-8-8-8-8-8-

I dreamt that I was being hunted.

In a dark, murky forest, I ran and ran, almost tripping several times. Brushing past overgrown trees and cobwebs that decorated them, I ran for my life.

What was I running from? I don't know.

My heart raced and thumped loudly, reverberating in my ears. Crows croaked from the dark sky above as I swear I heard a growl from behind me.

Finally, the thick density of the forest began to lessen and gave way to a clearing. I stumbled out of the forest and into a high peak. Looking around, I realized that I was near the edge of a cliff. I struggled with the decision of which fate was worse. Drowning or being murdered by my pursuer?

I glanced down at the waves crashing against jagged rocks and shuddered. The wind picked up around me and roared as wet drops hit my skin. A loud snarl came from behind me and I hurled around.

Gasping, I gaped up at my dream Edward. His eyes were pitch black and not the green I had come to like. His mouth was twisted into a vicious smirk and he let out a deep growl as he took a predatory step towards me.

"Jump, Firefly," he leered and took another step forward.

Instinctively, I took a small step back and whispered, "No! Are you crazy? I'll die."

"That's what you wanted, isn't it? Jump, Firefly, jump. I'm your mate and I want you to jump."

I was frozen in fear as he came forward and grabbed my hand. He whirled me around to face the sea and murmured darkly in my ear, "Come, we'll jump together. We're mates, remember? We're together forever. Even after death we'll belong to each other."

"Edward? Why are you doing this? Please," I pleaded softly.

He chuckled bitterly and said, "It's what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me to die. You wanted to kill me. If I'm going to die, so are you. We'll die together, jump together."

I shook my head and said frantically, "No! I didn't mean that. I didn't want you to die. I'm sorry. I didn't know. Stop this, please. You're scaring me."

"Scaring you? I'm scaring you?" he laughed incredulously but it had a sinister edge to it. "I'm just showing you, Firefly. I'm just showing you that no matter what happens, you'll be mine. Even after we jump, after we die, we'll be together."

I felt tears streaks my cheeks as the wind picked up and began to howl. I pushed my hair around and ruffled my clothes.

Edward grinned darkly and even over the wind, I heard him whisper, "Don't worry, Firefly. I'll never let go."

My scream was drowned out by the wind as it rushed past me. All I could feel was Edward's hand wrapped around mine as we plunged down into the sea.

I woke up to a blaring alarm clock and an aching pain in my abdomen. I lay in bed, feeling strange for a few minutes, before I realized why. I was alone. For the first time in days, I didn't wake up to warm, strong arms wrapped around me. That explained the pain in my abdomen.

I raised my head and looked over to Edward's side of the bed. All I saw was Edward's back.

My heart stung and I staggered out of bed with wet eyes. I stumbled into the bathroom and started my day with an aching body.

Once I had gotten ready, I walked back to the bed and called out, "Edward? Wake up. You need to get ready for school."

He shifted slightly but didn't respond.

"Edward?"

Slowly, he moved and got out of bed. Still facing away from me, he stretched and then winced. Reluctantly, I slipped out of the room and the last thing I saw was Edward hunching over to clutch at his chest.

I ate breakfast quietly, not looking up from my bowl of cereal. I didn't want to see Esme and Alice's pitying gazes. Though, I suspected Alice was even a little upset with me, since she didn't even attempt to make conversation with me.

When Edward came downstairs, he didn't say a single word. I cringed when I saw the bags under his eyes and how he winced with every step. He kept his gaze away from me, not once meeting my eyes.

It hurt the most when he spoke to Alice. His voice was rough and cold as he said, "Alice, we're leaving in five minutes."

I kept my eyes downcast as he staggered out of the room. When Alice got up and followed, I let out a sigh and knew I had finally blown it.

The ride to school was painstakingly quiet. For once, Edward didn't hold my hand and instead kept his situated on his lap. I struggled with the desire to say something, to break the silence.

When we pulled into the parking lot, people stared even more than yesterday. It was hard to believe that it was just yesterday that everything had gone awry.

I expected Edward to at least hold my hand in the eyes of the rest of the students but no. He didn't. He didn't even open my door for me. Instead, he waited by his side of the car for me to get out. Once I did, the car beeped twice as he locked it and then he walked away. I stared at him disbelievingly until I felt a small nudge at my side. I looked over to see Alice looking up at me sadly.

"Just don't do that again. Ever," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse and she sounded like she was going to cry. "Please, Bella. I'll die if Edward does. He's my older brother. I love him. I need him. My parents need him. Don't ever do that. Please. I can't lose the both of you goddammit."

She wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back.

"Look, I know Edward doesn't exactly treat you right but he can't change himself. Only you can. You can fix him. There's hope for him yet. I know it," she mumbled.

I shook my head and said quietly, "I can't, Alice. I'm nothing to him. Nobody."

Alice chuckled and shook her head. "You have no idea, Bella. You're his mate. An immortal would do anything for his mate. Even change who he is."

What Alice said stuck with me for the entire day. When I wasn't worrying about every time Edward rejected me - not holding my hand, sitting as far as possible from me at lunch, and ignoring me completely - I was musing over what Alice said.

Could I really do it? Could I change who Edward was? Could I make him just stop and think, for once, about those around him? Could I help him gain consideration?

The biggest question of all...did I want to?

Some parts of him, I really liked. His confidence, his ability to soothe me, and his cockiness when he wasn't being rude were just some of the things I liked about him.

Granted, I hated his anger and his hate. I hated how he swore all the time and never once thought about others. I hated how arrogant he was and how he thought he was better than everyone else.

But could I change him, take away all his bad parts, without taking away the good? It seemed too good to be true.

Edward was already in Biology when I walked in. He had left the cafeteria right at the bell and I didn't even have the chance to catch up with him. Today really was an eye opener for me. I never realized just how dependent I was on Edward. My life had already begun to mold itself around him. I already expected him to always be there, to dissipate the constant pain in my abdomen. Now, he kept far away from my touch. As if even being near me was torture. How ironic.

I settled down next to him and let out a small sigh when he shifted away from me. How much longer would this go on?

I looked around the classroom and noticed Jessica and Lauren sniggering at me and giving me dirty looks. Confused, I turned away and focused on Mr. Banner.

About a quarter of the way into the period, my phone vibrated, alerting me to a text.

Come meet me by the library - Jasper

I felt Edward glancing in my direction, a first for today, and quickly put my phone away. Then, I raised my hand and asked for permission to go to the washroom.

As I left the room, I could feel Edward's eyes on me, amongst others. I nervously headed down the hallway, keeping my head down when a teacher walked by.

As I neared the library, I caught sight of familiar honey curls. When Jasper saw me, he broke out into a grin and gestured for me to hurry up. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. Squeezing me to his chest, he buried his face in my hair and mumbled, "God, I fucking missed you."

"You can say that again," I muttered.

Jasper chuckled and said, "You smell like him. Did you know that? You're not just cinnamon and firewood anymore. I can pick out seawater and honey."

I giggled humourlessly, my mind on how Edward wasn't even touching me and yet I smelt like him.

"He's a prick, isn't he? He treats you like shit," Jasper observed.

"You have no idea," I said, shaking my head. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have admitted it but it was Jasper. He knew me inside and out.

"Fuck, I wish I could help you," Jasper said quietly. "I checked up on all their history books and even asked around. Covertly, of course."

"You did?" I asked incredulously, amazed that he would go to such lengths for me.

"Of course," he said with a shrug. "Best friends, remember? That's not going to change just because some possessive asshole won't let me near you. Fuck him."

I giggled and shook my head disbelievingly. My chest ached a little when Jasper insulted him but it was nothing compared to the ache in my stomach.

"So yeah, I did some research and I'm totally stumped. There's no way out of it. You can break the bond and still live."

I swallowed hard and said, "But my dad is alive, right? So is your mom. There's got to be a way."

Jasper shook his head and said, "I don't even think my dad is dead. Mom never said he was so Rosalie and I just assumed he still lived in Alaska. Apparently he moved, though. Besides, your dad nearly did die. Alice told me that Esme happened to find him within minutes of your mom breaking the bond and she healed him. She uses her element to heal and your dad barely made it when she patched him up. Breaking the bond doesn't always ensure that the breaking party lives. Your mom, my mom, and Siobhan could've easily died. They survived by a fluke. There were some others who died trying to break the bond."

"Oh." I hung my head and whispered, "So this is it then? I'm stuck in a hateful relationship for the rest of my life? Edward hates me now. He can barely even look at me, forget touch."

"Aw, baby. Come here." Jasper pulled me into his arms again and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Just as I was pulling away, a growl sounded and my head whipped around.

Edward stood a few feet about, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes blazing.

"Get the fuck away from her," he snarled dangerously and took a step forward.

I opened my mouth to protest but Jasper shook his head at me.

"He's too unstable right now. He sees me as a threat to his mate," Jasper whispered as he stepped away. Then, more loudly, he said, "Just talking to her."

"As if," Edward scoffed, walking forward. "Don't ever come near her again or I'll rip your arms off. She's my mate, mine."

Jasper rolled his eyes and said, "Then maybe you should start taking care of her. Stop hurting her and she won't feel the need to seek comfort and support."

With that, he turned around and walked away, leaving me to the wolf.

Hesitantly, I turned to find Edward glaring at me but his brow was furrowed.

"Let's go back to class," he said shortly and began to turn away.

"No!" I said too loudly and grabbed his arm.

We both froze and I pulled away. An electric current had run through my skin when I touched him and from the look on his face, he felt it too.

"Please. We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," he said coldly.

"No. There's everything to talk about. We can't let this go on. We can't live in this hateful limbo. Clearly, there are a lot of issues between us that we need to sort out. Maybe we're just misunderstanding each other," I said softly, waving my arms around for emphasis.

"That's fucking ridiculous. We both know where we stand in this hateful limbo, as you put it."

He began to walk away and I closed my eyes. Quietly, I whispered, "Please. As your mate, I'm asking you to just please listen and let us talk this out. Please."

I opened my eyes and found him frozen, staring at me with raised eyebrows.

"Fine."

He began to lead us towards the back exit of the school, not looking back once to check whether or not I was coming. I stumbled behind him, finding it difficult to keep up with his long strides.

Once we were outside, he leaned against the brick wall and watched me expectantly.

"Talk," he ordered.

I narrowed my eyes and snapped, "First of all, cut that shit out. I'm not your maid. I'm your mate. You don't order me around. We're equals."

He opened his mouth to argue but I raised my hand and said, "Wait. Let me finish. I know what you're going to say. I'm your mate and you're the next leader. I get it but having that kind power doesn't mean you get to treat me like shit. In this relationship I'm your equal. I'm your mate. That's sort of like a permanent girlfriend and I don't know if you know but you're supposed to treat your girlfriend nicely."

"Are you lecturing me?" He asked with a raised brow and amused eyes.

"No, Edward! Telling someone what they're doing wrong isn't lecturing. It's helping them become a better person and fix their mistakes," I said exasperatedly.

"My mistakes?" He repeated disbelievingly.

I nodded and said, "Yes, your mistakes. I'm not saying that I'm perfect and I haven't made any mistakes in this relationship because that would be lying. I was wrong to run away again and again. It immature and irresponsible of me, I admit it. However, I was scared."

"You were scared?" He snorted and shook his head.

I narrowed my eyes and grabbed his shoulders. He turned to look at me when the strange current ran through our skin again but I ignored it.

Instead, I looked into his eyes and whispered, "What does the word 'mate' mean to you?"

"What is this? Reverse psychology?" He scoffed and looked away.

"No. Look at me, please, " I said, shaking my head. When he turned his green eyes on me, I continued, "Just humour me. What does the word 'mate' mean to you? Honestly. Just please humour me."

He sighed and was quiet for a moment. Then, finally, he asked, "Before or after we mated?"

My heart broke into two and tears threatened to escape but I fought them back and said, "Please, Edward. Just cooperate."

"Mate means soul mate. The one who'll stand by me and support me. The one I'll protect and cherish. The one who will love me."

I squeezed my eyes close before opening them and saying, "Exactly. Then, why do you insist on treating me like trash?"

"I don't," he began indignantly but I cut him off with a shake of my head.

"You do. You push me around and say stuff that really hurts. I'm your mate, Edward. Not your enemy."

"You tried to kill me," he pointed out.

"What? No!" I cried. "I had no idea that breaking the bond would kill you. If I did, I would have never done it. I mean, Charlie is still living and so is Ja - Rosalie's dad. I didn't know that you would die."

He was quiet as he wondered, "Then why did you do it?"

"Because I was scared," I admitted. When he looked at me dubiously, I explained, "The way you treat me and the things you say scared me. The thought of spending the rest of my life with a guy who thinks I'm worthless and calls me weak scared the shit out of me. That's the kind of life I would never want, not even for my enemies. I want to be in a happy, loving relationship. I understand that we're all we've got but we can make this work. I'm not saying for us to fall in love, that might never happen, but I want us to at least be friends." When Edward looked like he was going to argue, I added, "Like before I left Forks."

He closed his mouth and looked down at the ground. He let out a small sigh and kicked around a pebble.

"Friends?" He repeated unsurely.

"Yeah. That's what I want."

He didn't say anything after that except he nodded slightly.

We were quiet for a moment before a thought popped into my head and I said, "Edward?"

He looked up at me warily and said, "What now?"

I brushed off his words and said quietly, "I'm your mate, right?"

He gave me an odd look and said, "Last time I checked, yeah."

"Then I would like a favour from you. As your mate, I want you to do something for me. It's nothing big but if you could just do this then I swear I'll never cause any problems. I won't run away and I'll be extremely supportive. I promise."

He looked a little surprised as he asked suspiciously, "What is it?"

I took in a deep breath and said, "Edward, you've got to understand that I didn't grow up in this lifestyle. All this is very new to means it's unnatural from where I come from. It's a little scary and I'm still learning. You're my mate and you're there to support me. So that's what I'm asking from you. Support. I want you to please understand that all this is very new and I'm still learning. Please consider the fact that I'm freaked out here. I need you to support me and help me get through this. You know this lifestyle inside and out. I don't. I just lost my mother and the only life I knew. I need someone to guide me. Would you do that for me? For your mate?"

His eyes widened and he let out a shaky breath. It was a few seconds before he spoke.

"Are you sure?"

"Very," I said confidently.

"I can try but I don't know how to do all this. Especially being friends. All my friends have been with me for quite some time. I haven't made a new friend in forever."

"But I'm not a new friend. I'm just an old one," I pointed out.

Edward cringed and then nodded.

"So how do we do this?" He asked, gesturing between us with his hands.

I pursed my lips and then said, "I know! We can start with a secret. A secret each."

He watched me warily as he repeated, "A secret?"

"Yeah."

"Fine. But you go first. Tell me a secret," he demanded softly.

Quietly and slowly, I confessed, "I'm scared. I'm scared of what the future holds for us. I'm scared of what's going to happen."

Edward's eyes softened and he reached between us to take my hands in his.

"But that's the fun part. The thrill of not knowing what's going to come. The allure of the unknown," he breathed, leaning closer. "Besides, I'll be there, the entire way. I'll never let go."

This time, I wasn't afraid. I welcomed his words and let them wash over me in comfort. It wasn't a threat this time. It was a promise.

"Tell me a secret," I implored breathlessly.

He leaned in even closer and used one hand to brush away my hair from my face. That same hand, cupped my cheek and his eyes glanced at my lips. Then, he looked into my eyes and stroked my cheek.

"I'm afraid," he murmured softly, his eyes smouldering into mine. "Of losing you."

And then he leaned in to kiss me.