Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster.

It was close to eight o'clock in the evening when Bella saw Edward stepping into Eclipse. She hadn't expected to see him so soon.

There was something clearly off. His shoulders were slumped and when their eyes met, she knew something terrible had happened. He seemed to have been crying.

Edward climbed on a stool in the far corner of the bar, and Bella pushed Paul out of her way when he tried to get to Edward before her. "I've got it," she told Paul. "What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly, leaning over the counter toward Edward.

"Not here."

She worried her lip, knowing that it was time to think of changing her schedule somehow. She wanted nothing more than to be with Edward, but the evening rush hour was just starting.

"You don't have to leave early for me. I'm here for a drink, anyway."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "It's one of the golden rules of bar-tendering: never serve the sad, depressed guys."

"You just made that up. I bet your friend there will help." He pointed to Paul.

"Not if I tell him not to serve you anything alcoholic."

"Are you arguing with me?" He raised a brow, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Are you kidding me?" Bella exclaimed. "Outside!" She pointed to the door. "I'm taking a short break," she told Paul on the way around the counter.

Edward held the door open for her as they stepped into the warm evening air. He leaned against the side of the building, folding his arms across his chest. It was clear he wasn't going to tell her anything if he acted so defensively.

"Edward?" She hovered a hand over his shoulder, before cupping it.

He shrugged her off, frowning at the dirt at their feet. "I went to see Jasper."

"Shit." Bella hadn't expected Edward to actually listen to her advice.

"I can't do this." His hard, empty eyes met hers. "I have to be alone while I heal."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said softly.

"Jasper said I shouldn't get involved in any scenes. I'm not sure I can do anything…regular, either." His voice was as empty as his eyes. "What we talked about…it gave me a lot to think."

"If you think you're pushing me away for my benefit—"

"Bella, this is something I need to do on my own. I don't want you around during this." His green eyes were so raw, it cut through her heart.

Edward had been hurt so deeply, Bella desperately hoped Jasper could mend him. Also, she was sure that Edward was making a fundamental mistake in pushing her away, but she'd respect his decision.

"I'll be here." She couldn't hear her own voice, but Edward nodded. When he pushed away from the wall, Bella caught his wrist. He stiffened, staring at her hand. "If you need me…"

"You'll know it." He leaned closer, dropping a kiss on her brow. "I'm sorry."

A sob caught in Bella's throat, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She expected Edward to push her away for her forwardness, but he crushed her closer to his chest. He breathed harshly into her hair.

She was working up a speech to make him understand why he'd need her presence in his life while he healed, but before she could create order in her thoughts, Edward escaped from her embrace. He ambled down the street, his hands deep in his pockets and his shoulders slumped.

Bella stood rooted in place, watching the man she'd fallen in love with slipping away. It was a high possibility, he'd never heal…not on his own.

The roar of a bike's engine made her snap out of her thoughts. She barely spared a look at the new customer dismounting his bike, as she returned inside the bar.

The rest of the night was a blur of mixing drinks and serving them, which kept her occupied enough not to think about Edward's decision.

At home, she took Harley for a short walk, while she decided to go to Edward's. The worst that he could do was have Tanya turn her around.

The following morning, Bella woke up ready to fulfill her plan. Felix had returned her Nova the previous day with a tank full of gas. She drove to Edward's house, expecting the worst.

Tanya met her halfway to the front door. "Did Mr. Cullen spend the night at yours again?"

Bella stumbled back, taken by surprise. "You mean, he wasn't home last night?"

Tanya shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. "He had Felix drop him by at Dr. Whitlock's office after work yesterday, and that's the last we know of him."

Bella felt bile rising in her mouth. What had Edward done? Where could he be?

She rushed back to her car, not telling Tanya that she'd seen Edward in the evening. She drove to Jasper's house, hoping he was home.

As Bella was pulling up in their driveway, Jasper was ready to drive away. She jerked her wheel, parking in front of Jasper. His brakes screeched loudly as he stopped in time.

He jumped out of the truck at the same time as Bella stepped out of her car.

"Is he here?" she asked, before he could state that she was clearly insane.

"Fuck." Jasper paled.

His reaction made Bella feel sicker. She was running out of places of where Edward could be.

Maybe at his parents' house? She didn't know where they lived.

Maybe at his sister's? But she wasn't home.

Then it clicked. He was at the cemetery.

"Where are you going?" Jasper demanded, when Bella made to get back behind the wheel.

"I know where Edward is." She narrowed her eyes at Jasper across the hood of her car. "He came to me yesterday afternoon. He decided we needed a break while he healed."

"I didn't tell him to push you away, if you think it's my fault."

"I know your methods, Jasper. I've been your patient. You can't beat him down and make him see for himself what's wrong. If I can see that, I'm not sure what that says about you."

Alice chose that moment to step out of the house, watching them confused.

"It says, I'm doing my job right. Of course, he's doing it wrong, as usual, but he's trying to sort out his priorities," Jasper said seriously.

"You don't know how terrible he looked yesterday when he came to Eclipse! Then, when he left…" She took a shuddering breath. "I shouldn't have allowed him to leave in that state."

"Why did you come here to ask if Edward had spent the night?" Jasper frowned.

"Because he hasn't gone home last night. I know where he is, so please, let me go and see…and…" Bella slumped against her open door, as a sob erupted through her.

"What's going on?" Alice demanded, probably tired of watching them arguing.

"You're not going to drive in this state," Jasper insisted. "Stay with Alice. Let me go and get him."

Bella glanced at Alice, who seemed to have understood something was wrong with Edward. "I'm coming with you," Bella said, walking on wobbly legs to Jasper's large pick-up truck.

Jasper convinced Alice to go back inside the house and wait for them. Bella would have put up a fight if she were in Alice's place.

"You have to let me do the talking," Jasper said, once he joined her in the car. He backed out, driving around her Nova. The driver's door was still open as she'd left it.

"I can't promise that," Bella answered, knowing a vehement denying would get her nowhere.

"You have no idea how I found him the last time…"

"I can only imagine. Look, I told him to talk to you, because I could see he wasn't winning the fight on his own." Bella stared at her hands. "If Edward needs to be alone in order to heal, I'm willing to step aside."

"He'll need you by his side," Jasper said quietly. "He doesn't realize how dependent of you he has become."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a few hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "Is it possible for him to get better?"

"Such trauma will leave a mark forever on his heart, but I'm willing to say that if he cooperates and actually listens to me, I can help him come to peace with what happened that night."

Bella brushed at her tears. "Did Edward tell you…"

"Yes." Jasper grave voice was enough for Bella to understand they were thinking about the same thing – the other innocent life who had perished in the accident. "It's a long shot, but I want to make Edward see the unborn as a baby – a real person, who never had a chance."

Bella sniffed, wrapping her arms around her chest, rocking. "Did Edward tell you that I used to know Angela?"

Jasper parked in front of the cemetery, turning to face her, shocked. "No. It didn't come up."

"She used to be my only friend in high school. I think we talked about this." She frowned, trying to remember what she'd told Jasper back then.

"Shit."

"I'm fine," she dismissed his worry. "Let's find Edward."

Bella walked by Jasper's side through the alleys in the cemetery. When Jasper slowed down, she looked around, figuring out they'd reached the spot where Angela was buried.

Jasper lifted a hand. "Wait here," he demanded.

As much as Bella would have rather run over to Edward's slumped body over the marble stone, her feet were frozen, rooted in the dirt road. She watched as Jasper approached Edward, who didn't even flinch.

"Edward," Jasper called out loudly.

Edward's head lifted a fraction, before falling back.

"Edward," Jasper repeated, this time in a voice that sent chills down Bella's spine.

She could have turned around and waited in the car. It would have been the smartest decision of her life, but she was morbidly curious to see how Jasper's approach would get a reaction from Edward.

"What do you want from me?" Edward's gruff voice was quiet, but it rang loudly in the silent graveyard.

Jasper bent to pick an empty bottle, pointing it at Edward. "By whose standards did you judge your drinking problem when you told me you weren't back to your old ways?" His voice was still cold, firm.

"It's different," Edward grunted, struggling to move into a sitting position. He swayed from side to side.

"You're right. It's different – it's worse now!" Jasper snapped. "Do you think this is what Angela would—"

"DON'T!" Edward sprung up, but stumbled over his feet when he lunged at his friend. He fell to his knees, his hands pressed against his face.

Jasper caught Bella's eye for a second, before focusing back on Edward. He touched Edward's hair, combing his fingers through it.

Bella stared transfixed.

"From this moment forward, if you taste alcohol again, you'd wish you never wanted to know what pain is."

"I know pain." Edward's voice broke Bella's heart into a thousand pieces.

"Not the kind of pain I'm going to inflict on your ass."

Bella shuddered at Jasper's implication. Before she could wrap her mind around the fact that Jasper was doing to Edward what Edward had wanted to do to him not that long ago, there was a shift in Edward's behavior. His hands dropped to his knees, his back straightened, his head remained bowed down.

Holy cow! She stared with wide eyes. She had never seen anyone submitting before, but it was obvious what was going on.

"You once promised me to help if I ever need it. Pull me under, Jasper," Edward spoke in a soft, steady voice. "Please."

Jasper stood frozen, staring down at Edward. His head turned to Bella, nodding to the path leading her back to the car.

Bella turned around, running to the gates. She thought she heard Edward calling her name, but Jasper's commanding voice echoed in her ears.

"I've got you, Edward."

Bella reached Jasper's truck, falling against it, as an ugly sob escaped her.

Could this be the right way to help Edward?

What if Jasper was going to break him beyond healing?

What if Edward could never handle a normal relationship?

Bella was trying to learn how to please him the way he wanted, he needed…but it was foreign to her.

I keep forgetting to thank Gabby for helping me improve my writing and remembering to describe the scenes better.

Also, thank you to all of you who read and review each chapter. I truly appreciate it. We hit 666 reviews, which is a funny number, yet more reviews than I ever dreamed to reach. And we're barely halfway through the story.