26

I leave the not-so-happy couple and join Angela and Bella in the kitchen.

By "come help me with the dishes", Bella obviously meant "stand in one spot while I clean the kitchen in a flash".

Not one to sit back while someone else does all the work, Angela stands, folding and unfolding a kitchen towel repeatedly, while Bella loads the dishwasher and scrubs the stove top.

"In history class, we learned that your shield is so powerful that you're able to ward off both Volturi twins at the same time. Is that true?"

Bella grins. "Yep. They are old friends of the family, and we were bored. Although, it took a lot of convincing to get Alec to give a hundred percent. Jane swears he has a crush on me, and he didn't want to possibly hurt me—"

Why does my stomach clench with jealousy at the mere thought of Bella with another man? What the fuck is going on with me?

"—but the Volturi twins are more like siblings. That would be gross."

The tension in my stomach lessens.

"Yeah." Angela giggles.

"Bella," I whisper, and she stops her manic cleaning to turn to me. "That was amazing," I gush, and her smile widens. "Once you put up your shield, I couldn't even tell that Jasper was fighting you until you took him down."

"All in a day's work." Her smile falters, and she pouts. "I have to be honest. I'm a little disappointed with how easy it was to fend him off. I was hoping he would be a challenge."

"What I'm trying to say is I think things are going to work out great with you here. Please stay."

Her smile is back in full force, knocking the wind right out of me. "Why do you think Rabbit and I are going to the home goods store? I prefer blackout curtains so I can move around the house on a sunny day without blinding everyone on the street."

Alice stumbles into the kitchen, her five-foot-nothing frame practically carrying Jasper's six-feet of dead weight body.

"He needs blood," she spits in Bella's direction.

Bella's eyes roll, and she pulls a mug out of the microwave, sliding it in their direction. "Rabbit did try to warn him."

Angela cackles.