-pops head in- Hi!

Hello my pretties! I won't waste your time apologizing for taking such a long time to update. Life changes, writer's block and just plain laziness got in the way.

Now, before you begin this chapter I want to say a few things: Thank you so much to lil hummingbird for being the best ReFanSM in the WHOLE fucking world. For answering my phone and Skype calls, emails and text messages when I would say: HB I CAN'T WRITE. I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH OH MY GOD I WANT TO GIVE UP! Thankfully she answered with slaps to the face, kicks to the ass and hand holding. I FLOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU ARE THE BESTEST EVER! And thank you for looking at this hot mess and making it pretty and nice to show in public :)

To my British girls: Sam, Charlotte, Bethany and Katie. I love you girls so bloody much. I love emailing, tweeting, Snapchatting and Skyping with you and squealing at your Britishisms when I should be working on horrible, horrible paperwork! Every time I look at the clock I now add eight hours without even realizing it lol

Silver, you're so sweet you give me cavities ;) and livelovelaugh91: what can I say? If I knew you in person I would give you the fiercest hug, you would need to go to the hospital. Sorry! -hugs-

And last but MOST DEFINITELY not least: to all of you. Because of you I didn't give up in the end. Even in my long absence I received alerts and reviews which surprised me but most importantly reminded me not to give on this baby. I love it so much but I needed the reminders every now and then. Thank you.

Okay, now I recommend you read the last few chapters before reading this chapter as a reminder of what's happened as of now...

The Pierces- Secret

2005.

"What are you saying?" I asked trying to wrap my mind around the fact that my kid sister was interested in my best friend.

"What do you think I'm saying?" Bella asked trying to sound innocent; she twisted a little not really looking at me in the eye.

"You said 'maybe.' What did you mean by that?"

"What did you mean by that?" She parroted.

"Bella," I growled getting very annoyed with her circuitous stalling. I looked over at Alice and Jasper who were reciting the Pledge once again as a rematch. They were yelling it at the top of their lungs.

Even sitting a little ways away I could see the smile on Jasper's and Alice's faces.

Standing very close to each other.

Very close.

One more step and they…

"Tell me what the fuck is going on." I turned back to Bella, and demanded she explain herself.

She bit her lip, half-glancing at the duo and turning back to me. She got up and dusted herself off, grabbing her drink and my watered down Jack and coke.

"Come on." She mentioned we move into the woods for some privacy. I followed her and heard Emmett and Rosalie holler at us as if we were sneaking off to be alone for other reasons.

We reached a trio of trees and huddled together. "Tell me."

"Only if you swear you won't say anything." Bella looked behind my shoulder, her eyes jumping from me to where our friends were, multiple times.

"Just tell me."

"Promise me." She glared at me, knowing I wasn't promising anything right away.

"Tell me."

"Promise me."

"I have a right to know if my sister has the hots for my best friend!" I hissed trying to keep my voice down for her sake.

"I'm asking you as your girlfriend to keep your mouth shut. If they find out I said anything they'll never speak to me again!"

"They?" I clarified, feeling panicked. Why did I feel like I was the last to know?

Wait. Who's they?

"Bella." I let out with a deep breath. "Who's they?"

"Um…" Bella bit her lip, handing me my drink. "Here, you might wanna drink this."

I didn't know why or rather I did know why—but I did what she asked. The watered down drink disgusting but I knew just by her tone and the look on her face I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear.

"Promise me." She whispered, pleading me behind those huge Bambi eyes.

"I promise, just tell me."

She looked at me hard and exhaled loudly. "They both like each other but the other one doesn't know."

I was floored.

"What?"

"Jasper came to me and asked me how to deal with his feelings because he's afraid you wouldn't approve of him courting your sister. As far as Alice goes… well she's liked him since she laid eyes on him."

"You're kidding." Was all I could say. I really didn't know what to think about all of this. I was at a loss for words.

"No, I'm not." She shook her head trying to gauge my reaction. "Edward, Alice has a right to like whomever she wants... and Jasper, really loves you but he really likes Alice. He's been trying really hard to see how this could all work out and well..." She said in a single breath. She was beginning to look sick, for many reasons.

"Bella you're rambling." I stopped her, not because it annoyed me, but because I needed a moment to digest this information.

"Sorry." She whispered, almost as if trying not to scare me off. "Soooo...what do you think?"

"I think I need to talk to Alice and Jasper."

"They don't know how the other one feels!"

"I get it." I held up my palm, "I still need to talk to them."

"You cannot throw me under the bus like that Edward. They're going to kill me!"

"We'll see." I said between gritted teeth already looking toward the clearing and seeing Jasper throwing his head back, laughing at an enraged Alice. He took a long drink from his Solo cup and said something to Emmett.

"Hey." I called out to Jasper. He looked up and grinned lazily. I look a deep breath trying to call my feelings of betrayal and hurt.

I could feel Bella's small hand on the edge of my red t-shirt, ghosting me almost as if expecting me to fly off the handle.

I grinned internally but instantly felt a bit of shameful. I didn't blame her. I was known to have a short fuse and although I should be ashamed of it, I rather enjoyed the pulling and pushing that I created.

"We thought we wouldn't be seeing y'all 'til the Forks' fireworks show." He shifted from one leg to the other, looking more than relaxed.

I was never one to beat around the bush and I wasn't planning on starting then. The alcohol in me was helping me along and I wanted answers from who I assumed was my best friend.

"You like my sister?" I asked flat out. His easy demeanor faltered jumping back slightly as if shocked with a live wire.

I felt Bella's warm hand on the small of my back, I didn't know why it bothered me but it did.

The others stared at me as if I'd just grown multiple heads and wished to be called Sammy.

"E-Edward?" Alice asked me, her voice uncertain and confused.

Jasper and I locked eyes, both trying to read the other. He swallowed as if bracing himself, looking from me to the fresh grass between us, glancing at Alice, and back up to me.

"I do." He said, sounding sure of himself.

Alice gasped quietly, in her over-dramatic ways and looked at Jasper as if seeing him for the first time. He just held my gaze, waiting for my reaction.

It was my turn to take a deep breath, a tornado of anger, betrayal and indignant pride blinded my eyesight. I nodded stiffly and looked at Alice. "Is it true you like him too?"

Alice turned to me in a daze but her eyes squinting down in suspicion. "How did you find out?" She looked at Bella over my shoulder. "Did you tell him?" She asked her accusingly.

I felt Bella transfer her weight from one foot to the other; she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry." She whispered but as soon as the meek words were out she rallied and side-stepped me. "It came out. I didn't mean to but it did." She told her fiercely.

Alice glared at her indignantly, "how could you?" She shrieked. Rose stepped forward but not enough to get involved while Bella stood her ground looking apologetic.

"Alice, I swear I didn't mean to. I'm not used to drinking and-"

"Oh!" Alice inhaled sharply, "you're going to blame this on the whiskey? I can't believe you!"

"Alice, I'm not a drinker— I don't hold my alcohol like you all do. I mean.."

"Oh pu-lease Bella," Alice shook her head, "spare me the excuses. I trusted you and you went and blabbed to my brother!" She yelled. We knew she was overreacting and I could feel everyone begin to protest but Alice steamrolled the various protests. "You know, just because he's your boyfriend doesn't mean you can go and tell him everything! I mean you and I were friends long before you had the hots for each other!"

"Alice, are you listening to yourself right now?" Rosalie asked her crossly. "Bella's kept your secret up until now; give her credit!"

Alice rounded on Rose, "and why couldn't she keep it for a little bit longer, huh?"

"God!" Rosalie exclaimed, looking at the sky and back at my irate sister. "You heard him," she pointed at a blank-looking Jasper, " he said he likes you! Why the fuck are you not jumping his bones like you always said you would?!"

Jasper's eyes widened, flashing with a mixture of emotions I couldn't nor wished to discern.

"Because I wanted to find out by him, alone and without it being some dirty laundry to be aired out!" She turned to Bella, "It was my secret to tell."

"I asked him not to confront you, I really did." Bella told her. I felt a pinprick of annoyance for her turning on me but then again my conscience told me I deserved it. "I'm sorry this all happened; I'm sorry you're embarrassed and I'm even more sorry your moment is ruined."

Alice looked at Jasper, her eyes began to water and her cheeks began to redden before she took off toward town.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"I always wonder if the Drama Queen fairies ever sprinkle Regina George Dust over her Corn Pops." Emmett said in a flat voice as he watched her go.

"They don't." Rosalie responded, "they sprinkle Crazy Rocks over her eyes and make her believe it's sleep."

Emmett nodded, "I believe that." He whistled and closed his eyes saying something under his breath, almost like a prayer.

He and Rose let us know they would be going after her and would call with news. Bella told them to take a flashlight as the sun began to set.

I looked at Jasper who watched them go with a forlorn look on his face. Okay, here we go. I thought bitterly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Jasper turned to me took a moment to answer. "Are you upset I like her or is it because I didn't tell you right away?"

"Both," I said, "but mostly because you didn't tell me."

He nodded, looking at his feet, digesting this information. I could see the gears shifting in his head trying to figure this out. "I know, to you they're just hollow words right now but...I'm sorry." He sighed, his shoulders dropping as if a huge weight was being lifted off his shoulders.

I knew a bit of that kind of stress to know how liberating it felt. That didn't mean I still wasn't hurt he didn't have the guts to tell me, let alone trust me.

"I didn't know how you'd take it." He told me, looking up as I noticed a quiet fierceness in his voice. I knew him well enough to know he was tittering between the offensive and the defensive.

I guess that's why I liked the guy since the very beginning. Unlike me, he always knew how to keep that delicate balance under control; I on the other had, couldn't nor wanted to.

Bringing myself back to the present I looked at him pointedly as he tried to figure me out. Just like I knew he was on the line, he knew I could jump from one side to the other without so much as a blink.

In that moment I felt angry for his lack of trust, let alone setting his sights on my little sister.

"I told you everything. Brought you here to meet my family, allowed you to get to know them in hopes it would rub off on you, trusted you and all along you were looking at my sister as if she-"

"Don't finish that sentence." Jasper told me, putting his hand out to me. "Don't." He warned.

I cocked an eyebrow, surprised he would bother to contradict me. "Oh?"

"It happened without my noticing." Jasper told me, looking stern. "One day she's Edward's little sister then suddenly she turns into Alice."

"I don't understand." I scoffed. "How does one make such a huge jump seamlessly? I refuse to believe-"

"You would know." He said bitterly, chuckling between his teeth. Even in the twilight, he looked as there was a fire lit inside him. And maybe there was but I was there to smother it.

"Excuse me?"

"When did the big metamorphosis of Bella turning from family friend to Bella happen?" He countered.

I stared at him for a second, trumped. But I reeled, "that's different."

"How?"

"There was never any-"

"Alice saw her as her best friend, while you held feelings for her. Unlike you though, I was fully aware of these feelings and I didn't try to block, turn, or deny them."

"Mother-" I took a step forward about to pounce noticing both he and I had stepped over the line turning from angry friends into fierce strangers.

Bella jumped in blocking me. I didn't look at her. My focus still on the person I'd assumed was my best friend.

He stared back with rare and quiet fury.

"Stop." Bella told me sternly. "Don't do anything stupid." She looked over her shoulder, "and don't say anything you'll regret. Both of you."

"Don't get involved." I growled under my breath.

"I am involved." She fought back, "because of me this is happening! You were just talking about me and let's not forget I need to talk to you after this little, testosterone show-down is over."

"Bella, with all due respect," Jasper began, "wait your turn."

"Excuse me?!" She turned around and stalked over to the traitor. His glare never left mine. She was in the middle of a paused fight and as soon as she moved it would continue. Whether it turned to punches or not was still undetermined.

"If you didn't know, Jasper, I don't appreciate being told what to do especially when I'm trying to do you both a favor!"

"Listen," I told her, "this is between him and I."

"What?" Her head stun towards me, "what do you mean 'this is between him and you.' Edward, you were just discussing me not to mention the fact that you broke my trust so you're being a huge hypocrite right now."

I ignored her, the end justifies the means. A little unknown voice said in the back of my head.

"Jasper, go find the others and talk to Alice. You need to smooth things over with her and you and Edward need to cool off before you continue this discussion." I began to protest but she continued, "I need to talk to him."

"Once again Bella, I don't mean to sound rude but I feel like Edward and I aren't done yet."

"Guess what?" She snarled, "you are."

Jasper looked at her, testing how serious she was; when he figured there was no use he gave me one last look and sprinted towards the trail that led into town.

"You sent him off without out a ride." I said both bitterly and feeling petty glee over the fact.

"He has your keys."

"What the fuck?!"

She ignored me and began, "I told you not to say anything and you didn't listen."

I rolled my eyes, "what was I supposed to do? Let my best friend- no, the person I thought was my best friend continue to lust over my baby sister while I opened my home to him?!"

"Yes!"

I blinked rapidly trying to process this, "you're shitting me."

"Edward this isn't To Catch a Predator. This was just two people being thrown into the same social group and finding the other attractive!"

"I refuse to believe this is normal."

"And you and I falling for each other is different?" She asked defiantly. I felt déjà vu, and thinking back to this argument with Jasper. It seemed everyone saw the same delusion.

"You and I…" I thought quickly, "you and I-"

"Exactly." She told me triumphantly. The day had turned from late evening, to twilight, to dusk, and slowly into night. My eyes were adjusting to the lack of light and I could see pinpricks of red, white, blue, green and purple off to the west. The town's July Fourth celebration, I thought to myself wondering if what the others were doing.

"Look at me." Bella told me, there was no light in the clearing but I could see her clearly.

She wore a dark blue dress and remembered how soft it felt when I touched her, her red flats looked black in the night.

Her hair was down and her face was nearly free of makeup. I remembered how much I liked her like this but I felt… cold in that moment.

"You didn't tell me." I said quietly, that fact came to me as I spoke without much thought.

"Alice asked me not to." She looked at me with what I assumed was similar iciness.

I didn't say anything, part of me—the real me, was reeling over this strange look in her eyes.

"I asked you not to say anything." She told me mimicking my tone.

"How did you expect me to keep quiet?"

"By taking a moment and dissecting the information and seeing that, although Jasper should have been honest with you, you had no right to tread on their garden."

I winced. "Don't say garden."

"Don't be disgusting." She chastised as I got rid of the sordid images of Jasper and my sister. "Edward, I trusted you."

"And I trusted him! Put yourself in my shoes!" I walked around her needing to move. The night was turning chilly and my body reacted by spreading goosebumps all over.

"I understand, trust me I do, but if you'd been mature about this you would have asked him about it in private! You completely exposed both of them like we were in some 80s soap!"

"Not even," I sneered, "I felt like a Shakespearean character, I have more class than that." I knew I just said that to beat her at her own imagery but I didn't care. A small victory was a small victory.

"As fucking if," she laughed mirthlessly, "if you had any class you would have done it in private."

"Bella-"

"No Edward," she shook her head, "let me talk." Noticing she wasn't in the mood for anything else I gave in and with an annoyed exhale gave her the floor.

"Look." She looked at her feet, biting her lip and looked up at me once again. "I get it. I really do." I didn't know what part she was talking about but I let her continue, "but the thing is… the thing is that I asked you to keep quiet and you didn't listen."

I looked to my left at nothing in particular, just seeing darkness where I knew lush green grass lay.

"I understand that you're upset Jasper laid eyes on her and I fully understand the betrayal you must feel for not speaking up about it."

"Not to mention that it seems I was the only one in the dark." I say quietly, forgetting about my small vow of silence.

Thinking back to when I confronted Jasper and Alice, I realized that Emmett stayed quiet and even went off to find Alice without so much as an indignant growl towards Benedict Jasper.

"Emmett knew didn't he?" I asked Bella in the present moment, my voice listless and sad.

Her silence affirmed my suspicions.

"So, I was the only one in the dark?"

"You, Alice, and Jasper respectively." Bella said going for quiet honesty.

I pressed my lips together, shaking my head and turning again this time facing what I knew was thick forest.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked emotionless. The wind picked up and the chime-like rustle of the woods gave the whole scene an eerie feel.

"I'm sorry."

I let out what I hoped to be a dry chuckle but came out as a strangled groan. "That seems to be the theme tonight. I'm sorry, I trusted you and my favorite: I can't believe it."

Bella kept quiet for once and we let the wind sing its hollow song to the beat of faraway fireworks.

That's how I felt in that moment. Hollow.

"I don't trust you."

"I'm finding it hard to do so, too."

Silence.

"What does this mean?"

"What's a relationship without trust?"

"An empty one."

"That's not a relationship at all."

Silence.

"Does… does this mean…"

"I guess so."

"W-why?"

"There's no trust. Shattered. Blown away."

Silence.

"I see."

More silence.

"Okay."

Even more silence.

"Okay."

-runs for cover-

If I hadn't taken such a long time to update, this would have been the following chapter. I am picking it up right where I left it last July so please, please don't shoot the messenger! I plan to pick up my updating schedule of once a week, probably on Sundays like before. Hope you don't flounce the story and continue with me down this bend in the road :) I x.