A/N

Okay, last one for tonight!

Jemster23 pre-reads this carnage. She encourages me. She holds my hand.

She's the best!

—-

"Bitch, come on ... we're going out."

Rose pushes past me into the house without looking back. It's Saturday night and I'm in my old, comfy pajamas. I was watching reruns of Friends on TV.

"I don't know, Rose," I groan, following her anyway.

"It's time to get back on the horse, B. You're drowning in self-pity and it's ... just sad."

I stand at the bottom of the stairs, watching her storm towards my room, eyebrow raised.

"You can't force me to do anything!" I call after her.

"Fucking watch me," she warns. I laugh, I can't help it. She can, and she will.

Resigned to my fate, I follow her footsteps.

"When was the last time Charlie was home?" she asks, rifling through my closet.

I think for a while, biting into my bottom lip. "Um ... last Sunday?"

"Fuck," she mutters, throwing a load of clothes at my feet. "What a prick." I can't disagree, but I also can't find it within myself to care.

Not caring is what I do best.

Unless Edward Cullen is involved.

Music vibrates through the floor, reverberating up through my legs and beating in time with my heart.

A week away from the party scene feels like a lifetime. But nothing has changed.

People smile at me, calling my name loudly as I pass. I'm friendly, polite, bright-eyed —alive. It's freeing, in a sense.

Tyler and Mike thud the kitchen table as I enter, creating a loud drum roll as they whoop and holler. I laugh, winking at them, lifting my beer in a silent salute of thanks.

"See," Rose nudges me, "they've all missed you."

I roll my eyes, but can't hide my smile. "It's been a week. And it's not like I wasn't at school."

"No," she agrees, "you were there, but you weren't there, you know?"

She's right, of course. But I had a lot to think about. Sometimes the only way I manage to clear my mind is to remove myself from everything else. Withdraw. Edward is clearly the same.

"You never did tell me what happened between you and Cullen." I look up at her, resting my chin on my shoulder. "He got into your car after the fight and then ..."

I shake my head, smiling softly. "It's no big deal. Nothing happened."

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she watches me for a while. "So, you didn't fuck him again?"

"Nope," I answer, turning back, noticing Alice as she enters the house with Jasper. They look happy.

It doesn't take them long to spot Rose and I. Alice waves dramatically, hand high above her head as she skips over.

"Bella! Girl, I've missed you!"

I roll my eyes. "What the hell, guys! You saw me at school every day."

"Not the same." She shrugs, taking a drink from Jasper.

"Told you." Rose is smug.

I'm about to argue when my eyes are drawn to a new group of people entering the house. Edward walks in first, front and centre like always, flanked by his tall, tanned friend -Jacob, who's sporting a few fading bruises of his own- and a few other people I don't recognise.

I try not to react, but clearly I do. Rose leans down and whispers in my ear. "Ignore him."

I want to laugh.

Ignore him? Like I'll ever be able to do that. I realise that now -I've been doing a lot of thinking after all.

His eyes meet mine, vacant, dull, and ... black. The green is gone, just like that night in the woods when he mercilessly fucked me and I loved every damn second of it. Except right now, we're indoors and I can see everything else that accompanies those dark eyes -the gaunt, dull skin; the tension in his jaw as he clenches and unclenches his teeth repeatedly, the added swagger in his step ...

What the fuck has he taken?

A/N

Tomorrow morning's update will be heavy. So make sure you have your coffee ready before you read it.

Thanks for being here!