"I'm telling you, Edward, it wasn't an accident." I said to him as we walked in the gardens to pass time until the report.

"But how couldn't it be? She was really sorry, and even tried to help clean it up. Tanya looked really apologetic."

"Tanya's a good actress. She did it on purpose because she was jealous of the attention Rosalie was receiving. She ruined Rose's birthday."

"Well, if she was trying to take my attention from Rose, she failed. I spent nearly an hour with the girl. Rather pleasant time I had, too."

I didn't want to hear about that. It hurts to know he can never choose me.

"What about Maggie Farmer? She hit Tanya, all because Tanya provoked her."

"Did you hear Tanya say something?" He sounded skeptical.

"Well...no. But I knew Maggie, and I know Tanya. I'm telling you, Maggie was not the type of person to head straight to violence. Tanya must have said something heartless to her for her to have reacted that way."

"Bella, I'm aware that you spend more time with the girls than I do, but how well can you really know them? I know you like to hide in your room or the libraries."

"That's not fair. I was right about Alice, wasn't I? Don't you think she's nice?"

He made a face. "Yes...she is nice, I suppose."

"Then why won't you believe me when I say that what Tanya did was a calculated move?"

"Bella, it's not that I think you're lying. I'm sure, to you, it seemed that way. But Tanya was sorry. And she's always been nothing but gracious with me."

"I'll bet she has," I muttered under my breath.

"That's enough," Edward said with a sigh. "I don't want to talk about the others right now."

I huffed and lifted my arms in the air just to drop them with a thud against my legs. I was so frustrated I wanted to scream. "If you're going to act this way, I'm going to find someone who does want my company." He walked off.

"Hey!" I called.

"No!" He turned back on me and spoke more forcefully than I'd ever imagined he could. "You forget yourself, Lady Isabella. It would do you well to remember that I'm The Crown prince of America. For all intents and purposes, I am Lord and master of this country, and I'll be damned if you think you can treat me like this in my own home. You don't have to agree with my decisions, but you will abide by them."

"Then the selected lives will just be hell." I said, tears in my eyes. "She'll do it again. Just watch."