Hello friends! Finally, I am done with the TESOL course. Hopefully, now I will have more free time to write and update.

Right now I am on a mini-vacation with a childhood friend of mine, and having a wonderful time.

Fran, my ever-diligent beta, did a great job with this chapter. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

Chapter-17

If possible, I would have run back to the house, packed my bags, and left for Seattle immediately. Unfortunately, it was not the practical thing to do.

I had to get Bella home. I couldn't just leave her there with her arm in a cast, not to mention her questionable balance, and the snow on the road.

I had to invent a really good excuse that would justify my leaving this early. I knew Esme would be disappointed in any case, and perhaps Alice too, given the bonding we've had recently. But at least my excuse should be valid enough that they wouldn't suspect anything.

And Jasper and I still had to explain the appearance of the truck driver in Seattle and his suspicious death. That could not be put off any longer. Bella might not feel anything for me, but the fact remained that her life could possibly be in danger, and it was my responsibility to keep her safe.

We walked home slowly; both of us completely silent.

I forced myself to put on a smile and talk with the others as we played board games. It was another one of Esme's little traditions; one that I usually enjoyed. Today, however, it was all I could do to move the pieces on the board. Even though I knew it was pointless to think of Bella, my eyes would find her now and then and try to decipher what was going on behind her eyes.

It was clear her head wasn't in the game, but it was impossible to guess what she was thinking. Her face remained expressionless, except for a polite smile that accompanied her words while answering Esme or Alice.

It seemed that my presence, even for the evening, was making her uncomfortable.

When the games were over, Esme asked if anyone wanted supper. I refused, saying I had had too much in the afternoon. It was not entirely untrue, but I am sure I would have had a little bit of something, had I been in better spirits. As it was, the idea of food was almost revolting to me.

I took the opportunity to pretend to be tired and sleepy, and bade everyone a good night.

Bella didn't even look at me.

Sleep didn't come easy that night. I tossed and turned, my bed seeming the most uncomfortable bed in the world. I got up and sat near the window for a while, staring at the white world outside without noticing anything. I even sneaked downstairs after everyone had gone to bed for a mug of warm milk, hoping it would help me.

Nothing helped. My thoughts went about in a circle as to what I felt for Bella, what I had said to her, and her answer—or rather, her utter silence on the subject. Should I have waited, or should I never have said anything? I hoped she didn't think I was trying to take advantage of her vulnerable state, or her dependence on my aunt and uncle. I wondered if I should restrict my visits to Forks while she lived with them. How I would explain that to Esme, I had no idea.

Finally, I drifted off in an uneasy slumber sometime around four in the morning.

Hardly had I closed my eyes, or so it seemed to me, then I was awakened by a soft knock on the door. At first, I wasn't sure if it was part of a dream, or perhaps a branch knocking against the window, and merely looked about in confusion. But then, there it was again, a soft, almost hesitant rap of a knuckle against wood. I threw off the warm duvet, switched on the bedside lamp and got out of bed.

I opened the door to find Bella standing there, looking scared but determined.

"Bella?" I shook my head, baffled. "What are you…Are you feeling unwell?" Though in that case, she would have gone to Carlisle, right?

She cleared her throat nervously. "Uh, I have something important to tell you. I know it's very early, but this is the only time we have some privacy. May I come in?"

I may have blinked at her a few times until my brain started working. Then I nodded and said, of course, and stepped aside so she could enter.

She looked around. "Um, where should I sit?"

Good question, as there was nowhere to sit but my bed. Well, there was the window seat, but it wouldn't be comfortable for her, with her arm in a cast.

Sighing, I cleared a space for her on the bed by folding the duvet and invited her to sit there, while I perched on the window seat, having pulled on a hoodie first.

"If you are worried about me repeating my words from yesterday…"

She shook her head frantically. "No, that's not it. Well, it's a reason, but not because I don't…like you."

My sleep-addled brain tried to process her words.

"Uh, what does that mean?"

Her hands twisted in her lap. "You are going to hate me when I tell you the truth. Even your family will, but I can't…see you…sad because of me."

"I will never hate you," I protested before I thought of something else. "Wait, what was that about me being sad? What does that have to do with anything? I projected my feelings on you; that was my mistake—"

She shook her head again. "No, it wasn't…a mistake, I mean." Suddenly, her cheeks seemed to be on fire.

I swallowed as hope rose in my heart. "So…I hadn't read you wrong?"

"No." Her eyes met mine, and her lips turned up for a moment. "I…um, I do…like you. I just can't…"

I couldn't help smiling, if only briefly. "That's a relief. So, you are saying it's too soon? I get that. Anthony…"

"…was never my boyfriend." Her words were so low that they were almost a whisper, but I heard them. However, they made no sense.

"But he told Esme on the phone…"

"It was a lie."

I felt my back stiffening. So, Jasper's suspicion was correct. I was such a fool.

"To save my life," she continued, rushing her words as she saw my dark expression. "My boyfriend, Jacob, got into the wrong crowd. He lost some money in gambling, and…he was asked to deliver drugs to some people. I don't know what happened exactly, but the police found him dead. Overdosed, they said. I told them it wasn't possible: Jake never did drugs. No one listened to me. Anyway, after a few days a guy he knew turned up on my doorstep. He said his boss was unhappy with how Jake had handled things, and I was supposed to compensate for him, work for them for a while, you know?"

With every word she spoke, I felt the distance between us growing. It seemed I didn't know her at all. Even now, was she telling the truth?

The uncertainty I felt reflected on her face. She nodded to herself as if she had been expecting it. When she spoke again, it was slower than before.

"I got scared. I would have gone to the police except I didn't know if I could trust them, so I told my boss and his wife everything and asked them if I should leave the city. They advised me to wait a bit and contacted Anthony. They said they trusted him completely, that he was a good and honest man."

Yes, yes, he was. And he paid for it with his life.

"It turned out Anthony was already suspicious of some people in the department being involved with a drug cartel, so he agreed I should be moved immediately. However, until he was sure, he recommended that I should stay with him. If anyone asked, I was to say I was his girlfriend."

"He never said a word to me," I murmured, more to myself than to her.

She looked at me, eyes wide and red-rimmed in the soft light of the lamp, combined with the little bit of natural light that had begun to filter in through my window.

"He didn't mean to tell anyone; it was a temporary arrangement. But Esme called one day and I picked up unthinkingly as Anthony was in the shower. When she asked me who I was, I blurted out the same answer. Anthony went with it, saying he couldn't very well tell her the truth." She took a deep breath. "He said he was sure the drug lord would be caught very soon, and then I would be safe. At that point, he would tell Esme things didn't work out between us."

"And…after he died…you still kept the pretense," I said slowly, trying to connect the dots. There was no proof she was speaking the truth, but her story seemed plausible. I knew my brother would try to protect someone if he thought they were in danger; it was an intrinsic quality of his, almost an instinct. And he would have kept it a secret, especially if he believed the matter would be resolved soon. But why would Bella continue the charade? Was she scared?

Bella shivered, whether due to cold or fear, I didn't know. But I moved towards her.

"You're cold. Here, put your feet on the bed."

"No, I'm—"

"Please," I insisted.

She looked at me, her eyes sad, her face young.

"You'll have to help me."

"Of course."

When she was sitting comfortably against the headboard, I unfolded the duvet and covered Bella almost to her shoulders. Then I went back to my seat near the window.

She was looking at me with a wondering expression as she shook her head.

"What?"

"You two are so much alike, you know? Even though I was nothing to Anthony, he always took good care of me. Now you are doing the same." She sighed softly. "I had never met people like this before. Even your aunt and uncle…so warm and welcoming…"

"Umm." I didn't know what to say.

She gathered her thoughts and continued. "Anyway, you asked why I kept on pretending. I…when I woke up in the hospital, I was very confused. When they told me Anthony…hadn't made it, I was scared. Whom could I trust? I didn't know…Also, a couple of days before the accident, Anthony had made me promise…"

I sat up straighter. "What? What had he said?"

"He had been kind of quiet over dinner, which was unusual for him." That made me chuckle. Anthony being quiet was definitely unusual. Bella smiled as if agreeing with me. "When I asked him if anything was the matter, he said it was nothing. Then he abruptly said he wanted me to promise something. I found it strange, but agreed anyway."

Her expression grew serious. "He said I shouldn't tell anyone the truth if anything went wrong. That was it. I asked him if it was likely, but he assured me everything was okay. This was just a contingency plan. I didn't make a big deal about it and promised. Later, in the hospital, it occurred to me that maybe he knew something could go wrong. And so, I didn't talk to anyone."

"The doctors thought you were in shock," I murmured, remembering.

"I suppose I was, for a while anyway." She bit her lip, thinking. "All my life, I had been independent, but for the past few weeks I had been relying on Anthony. He was keeping me safe. And then, suddenly, he wasn't there…and the doctor was telling me he was sorry, but I had lost my baby…I didn't know what to think, what to do."

A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. "When I saw you, I really thought you were him, and I could breathe. Even when Esme convinced me otherwise, I kept on feeling this…connection. Of course, I thought it was because you were Anthony's twin."

I held my breath as I asked her, "And now?"

A shy smile appeared through the tears. "Now that I know you as yourself, the connection is stronger. But…" There was that uncertainty again. "Aren't you mad at me?"

Should I have been mad at her?

A.N. So, the truth is out, at least as much as Bella knows. Of course there are a few surprises left. :)

What do you think? should Edward be mad at her?