A/N: As always, thank you so much for donating your precious time to this story. I do not know if you appreciate it if I commend on your comments, but please know that waking up to seeing your comments, makes my whole day. Thank you all, and I wish your favourite chocolate will never be discontinued!

A little disclaimer: I´m a romantic at heart. And everything I write has a happy Bella x Edward ending! That being said... I´m sorry for all the stress and horror I´ve put you all through ;)

An Interesting Return

After Jacob left, I couldn't sit still anymore. I needed to keep myself busy, before I went completely mad. If I wasn't already. My brain was completely and utterly fucked-up, there was simply no other explanation for it.

I went downstairs and quickly ate my lasagna without tasting anything. Afterwards, I did the dishes and looked around the kitchen.

I guess it wouldn't hurt if I also mopped the floor, now that I got a closer look at it. So I prepared some soapy water and got going.

As I was doing that, I tried to ignore everything that had happened. But as I tried harder and harder, my thoughts came back to me quicker and quicker and I could only form one possible conclusion.

Jacob was annoying. Really annoying. His teasing and nagging got on my nerves and I've only seen him twice.

I've probably seen him much more, but I could only remember the last two times and he was annoying on both occasions.

A second conclusion was that Edward was annoying as well. I would have a word with him when he returned. If he returned.

No, when he would return.

I slowly breathed out. I didn't know where he went and if that was dangerous to him at all, but there was something much scarier waiting for him at home.

Me.

After the kitchen looked presentable enough, I made my way to the living room. Damn it, let´s vacuum this place now that I´m on it. I took the vacuum cleaner from the closet and pretended I could throw it at Edward if he stood right in front of me. He deserved it, but Renee would freak out for sure.

Unfortunately for me, these little household chores did nothing to calm me down. Instead, I felt even more agitated than before.

I ran upstairs, took my dirty laundry basket and threw it in the washing machine. Since the first time I shopped with Alice two months ago, my clothes became even more colourful than before. At least I now owned a few accessories to combine them with.

I swallowed hard when I thought about Alice. The last time I saw her, she looked so devastated and disappointed in me. Edward wasn't the only one who spontaneously left, Alice did as well and I was just as angry at her as I was at Edward. Did they really think so little of me, that I secretly knew Jacob and wouldn't tell them? What was going on?

Something broke in my hands and I looked down. Luckily for me, it was an old pair of underpants and not something relatively new, but nonetheless, it snapped me back to reality. I really needed to get a grip on these hybrid powers. They were really strong!

As the washing machine, and later the drying machine, did its thing, I wrote my essay on Pride & Prejudice, prepared my mathematics homework and even ordered a new book online. Once the drying machine pinged to let me know it was ready, I ironed all my clothes, folded them neatly and put them back in my closet.

All these chores did what they were supposed to do. I noticed I could barely keep my eyes open, so I removed my dress, hopped in a steaming hot shower, moisturized my arms and legs with a lavender-scented body butter and put on my comfortable pyjamas. I was sound asleep before my head hit my pillow.

That night, Edward haunted my dreams once more. I dreamt we were in the forest, and he looked so broken and disappointed, I immediately wanted to ease away his pain. Edward ran from me, but I quickly followed him. I didn't want him to run away from me, as we had important things to discuss.

I reached out to him and grabbed his hand. He stood still and let me soothe him, so I wrapped him in my arms and together, we stood still and let the silence of the forest welcome us. I had missed him, and I felt he missed me too, so no words needed to be said. We could talk in a few more minutes, but right now, we only needed each other.

The rest could wait and I needed his touch more than I needed to talk to him.

Edward reached out and caressed my cheek. I had missed his cold touch, so his coldness on my skin was equally welcoming as strange. I shivered and I felt warmer in an instant, as if I was wrapped in a tight blanket. And I liked it.

The coldness on my cheek returned and it felt so real, but unfortunately, it couldn't be as I knew I was still dreaming. But oh, what a lovely dream it was!

My hair hung loose and fell on my face, so Edward gently tucked my hair behind my ear again.

¨I love you,¨ he whispered and I opened my mouth to return the saying. I needed to tell him I love him. He needed to hear it.

¨Shh, Bella. Sleep well.¨

What a strange thing to say in a forest! I was wide awake, how frustrating! I frowned at him and he had the audacity to smile back at me. This wasn't how I envisioned this dream to be!

I groaned in frustration and opened my eyes.

I didn´t know if I was still dreaming or not, because Edward lay next to me. I looked down at my body and noticed I was indeed wrapped in a blanket, so maybe I didn't dream all of it? But what was Edward doing here? I must still be dreaming. There was no other way.

Edward smiled apologetically at me. ¨I didn't want to wake you up, I´m sorry.¨

¨Why are you here?¨ I mumbled, while I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Edward came even closer to me, so that I could partly lay on top of him. It felt amazing, like finally laying on the cold side of the pillow during a hot summer night. I sighed with pleasure.

¨Because I wanted to see you,¨ he whispered, so he wouldn't wake up my parents. ¨I´ve missed you like crazy, Bella, and I´m sorry I´ve run off like that.¨

¨It's alright.¨

¨No, it's not. I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me.¨

I yawned. ¨You´re here now, so all is forgiven.¨

Edward kissed the top of my head and I nestled myself onto his body. I closed my eyes and felt how all my muscles became more relaxed, only because he was here and I didn't feel anxious anymore, afraid of what he might be up to.

¨I´m sorry, Bella. I should have trusted you straight away, but I let my own doubt take over. I just didn't know what to do, so I ran and it was stupid and childish and unnecessary,¨ Edward explained to me. I didn't really listen to him, as my eyes became heavier by the second.

¨And Rosalie was pissed that her brother showed up unannounced. And then you recognised him! I heard Rosalie´s thoughts immediately after and I didn't understand it at all. I didn't understand what was happening and I couldn´t read Jacob. And I didn't know what he wanted from us.

So I ran. I ran Bella, and it was the stupidest thing to do. I´m sorry that I did that to you.¨

I opened my eyes and stared into Edward´s beautiful golden ones. He stared intensely at me, so I figured I should probably answer to something he had said before. But my eyelids were too heavy and I hadn't really paid attention to him, so I closed my eyes again and pressed my lips to his.

He wrapped me in his embrace and kissed me back. I was in no shape for a heavy make-out session, but these few stolen kisses were exactly as I needed. I was filled with a sudden warmth that only Edward could give me, something that was equally cosy as comforting, exciting but welcoming. Something that drove me crazy, but made me feel secure at the same time.

Edward.

I smiled and kissed him again. I might still be dreaming or I might be awake, but I didn't care. I'll take it.

My eyelids eventually won the battle and I snuggled more into Edward´s embrace. The blanket provided me warmth against his cold chest, but that same cold chest provided me with a different kind of warmth no blanket could ever give me. I fell asleep smiling.

Before my alarm clock could wake me, I felt fingers lightly touch my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Edward staring back at me with a dashing smile on his face. I must still be sleeping, but I felt so well-rested and awake. Urgh, it didn't make any sense.

¨Good morning,¨ he whispered. He leaned in and pressed his lips in my hair. I ignored the butterflies.

¨Ah, I've rendered you speechless. With my good looks, no doubt,¨ he teased me with his addictive, lazy smirk.

Something about him irked me in the wrong way and I didn´t know why. I should've been happy to see my boyfriend, especially after not seeing him for three whole days. But he looked so at ease and that upset me. A lot.

¨What are you doing here?¨ I mumbled, while I unwrapped myself from his arms. That seemed to surprise him and he ran a hand through his hair.

¨Do you want me to leave?¨

¨Well, I wake up and find you in my bed, after you've been gone for three whole days and I haven´t heard anything from you. I didn't even know where you went and if you would ever come back! So I didn't think I asked a very weird question, did I?¨

Edward opened his mouth and truth to be told, even I was taken aback by my sudden outburst.

¨I´m sorry,¨ he stuttered. ¨I went to Carlisle and Esme. And I never thought you would think that I would just leave like that.¨

I kicked the blankets off me and sat up. ¨Well, I never thought you would think that I would lie about my fucked-up brain and knowing Jacob,¨ I spat at him, hoping I made sense to him at all because he sure as hell didn't make sense to me.

¨I didn't know what to believe, Bella. I´m sorry.¨

¨You should´ve believed in me!¨ I said angrily as I stood next to the bed. A week ago, I would've given up my left kidney for waking up next to Edward in the morning, but right now, he only made my blood boil.

Or venom.

I walked from the left side of my room, to the right and back while I clenched and unclenched my hands.

¨You´re right. And I should've done that immediately, but I didn´t,¨ Edward continued. ¨And that was clearly a mistake.¨

He stood in a flash in front of me and held my elbow in his hand. I stared at him, still angry but a part of me was happy he was here, back in Forks.

And I hated that part of me.

I looked at the hand that held me, and as much as I didn't want to admit it, I actually wished he would wrap me in his arms again.

As if they knew it, I heard my parents waking up in the room next to mine. I needed that. A breather. So I offered Edward my hand as a universal peace offering while I nodded to the window, indicating that he needed to leave.

¨Truce?¨

Edward stared at my outstretched hand and dared to swallow back his laughter. He eventually shook it.

¨Truce.¨