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"Everything lines up, Edward. I don't quite know how, but I really think this was all just one big misunderstanding," Angela tells me softly, my eyes still on Bella. They haven't left. They can't.

"You can't tell me I've lost the most important thing to me over a misunderstanding," I grit through my teeth.

"Stop being so dramatic; there's nothing saying that you lost her. I think you should go in there with me, and we can get all our answers...and maybe give her some."

She doesn't add that I should have already come clean to Bella before now because what good would it do? But I know she's thinking it. I know that silent "I told you so" hangs in the air between us.

Walking from the observation room to the interrogation room feels a lot like a death march. But I have enough respect for Bella and this thing between us that I have to face her. I must put the work in to clear this up.

But I'm completely not prepared for the fire she shoots my way when I step in the room. It makes me physically halt. This is so much worse than the feisty glares I received before we were together because now there's so much immense hurt behind her whiskey eyes I can't stand it.

"Hello, Bella," I offer lamely, leaning against the far wall to give her as much space as I can.

"I can't fucking believe this," she seethes, a low and broken whisper that makes me want to fall on my knees and start begging for forgiveness.

Angela clears her throat.

"I want to apologize to you, Isabella. It seems that your alibi checked out, and you were, in fact, not in the country at the time of the Douglass murder. But I was hoping you could still answer some questions for us? Just to clear some things up?" She's got her good-cop pants on, and normally I would admire her for it. She's built for this job. But I'm stuck on a burning pyre by Bella's eyes, and I can't see anything past her.

"I'll tell you anything you want as long as I get some answers from you in return. You owe me at least that much." Her words are clearly only directed at me, so I nod.

"100% honesty from here on out. I promise."

Bella turns back to Angela and nods for her to continue.

"Isabella, the reason you have been brought in for questioning revolves primarily around your detailed accounts of homicides that reflect specific details from your life. Can you tell us more about them?"

"As I mentioned before, this was supposed to just be a fun outlet for me. I suppose, in a way, it was my form of journaling. Using my imagination to think about how these situations would fit into the life of a badass lady assassin. That's really all it was. I wasn't concerned about things being too close or too detailed because it was never meant to be seen, let alone taken for gospel."

"I see. What was your intention creating a character similar Jacob Black that you were then planning to murder?"

"To put it frankly, I was pissed off," she shrugs. "I never suspected Jake of any sort of foul play, and I was upset to find out that my boyfriend essentially was lying to me, so I vented some frustrations."

"And Tanya?"

"Who?"

"The blonde I saw you talking to at the bar two nights ago. And the woman who allegedly hired you to kill me," I interject, frustrated that she's only talking to and looking at Angela.

"I talk to a lot of blondes at the bar. I don't know who exactly youre referring to, but I can say pretty safely that I had never seen her before that night. Are you telling me you did something to warrant having a hit taken out on you?" Her brows are furrowed, lip curled in near disgust.

"Not exactly."

"We have records that you recently purchased a bone saw?" Angela interrupts, seeing that Bella's temper is heating up and attempting to diffuse it.

Good luck. My girl is a ticking time bomb if I ever saw one. It's part of what I love about her.

"Yes, because my father is a hunter, and I gave it to him as a birthday present," Bella crosses her arms across her chest, and I get it. I get why she's frustrated.

"And the notebook? Men's names and their details?"

"All a fabrication to slide into my book at a later date."

"Okay, and finally, you've recently opened new bank accounts? Any reason for that?"

"I hate my bank, so I'm switching? Why does any of this matter if you guys aren't pressing charges? Do you not believe me?" She throws her hands up then slams them on the table, tears clouding her eyes.

"I believe you, Isabella. It's just…" Angela trails off, glancing at me. I get it. She can't say why we're asking all the questions without telling her what I do, and it's not her place.

"Isabella, is it okay if I leave you two alone? I think you have a lot to discuss."

Bella nods, casting her eyes down rather than looking at me, and Angela leaves the room.