I wake with a jump and immediately feel the bones in the right side of my body protesting as I clench my teeth through what feels like tiny knives puncturing my lungs.

"Relax, now." I recognize Edward's voice instantly, but the bright white light in the room is too much for my eyes that had been accustomed to darkness. I squint, but he is still nothing more than a silhouette in front of this intense light. "You're alright, Bella. It's not real."

"What?" My voice sounds as if I hadn't used it in days. My throat is scratchy and I cough at the dry air flowing just under my nose.

My hands go to remove this foreign piece of plastic, but Edward's cold touch places my arms back by my sides. "Oh, no you don't."

Blinking a few times until my eyes adjust to the brightness of the room, I can finally make out his unruly bronze hair and golden eyes.

There's a steady and rhythmic beeping coming from beside me that prompts me to crane my neck. The heart monitor stares back at me in all its glory.

Is this even real? I was so sure I was dead.

But, there's no mistaking the uniformed blue and pink patterns of the blanket and overwhelming stench of alcohol. My imagination on most days could be good, but never this good.

"You're in the hospital," Edward says, confirming what I've already surmised.

The oxygen tubes irritate my nose again and I fight the urge to rip it away from my skin. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Jasper and Emmett took care of James," he starts. "They're back in Forks with Rosalie and Esme."

"And Carlisle? Alice?" I try to sit up, but flinch at the aching in my side. Edward rests his hand gently on my shoulder, urging me to lean back, before taking my hand.

"Carlisle is talking to your doctor. Helping him access your medical records."

Just below our joined hands is a giant bulge where my left leg should be. I try to wiggle my toes, but find it impossible underneath the familiar protective shell of a cast. "How bad is it?"

He glances at my leg before answering. "A broken leg, a few cracked ribs and a mild concussion."

Before he can fall down the rabbit hole of guilt and self-loathing, I squeeze his hand softly. "It could've been much worse." Though I say the words aloud, I find that they are more for me. I am alive. I don't have to say any goodbyes today.

He shakes his head slowly. Defeatedly. "Don't say that, Bella."

"I'm alive because of you," I reiterate.

"No." Edward chuckles humorlessly. "You're in here because of me. I am so sorry, Bella. I never meant for any of this to happen."

Sighing heavily, I ignore the sharp pinches in my ribs. "Neither did I. I'm sorry too. You weren't too hard on Jasper, were you?"

A hint of a smile pulls at his lips. "It's Jasper you're worried about?"

"He's not mad at me, is he?" I swallow uncomfortably at the dryness in my throat. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"He's not angry," he tells me.

"What about you?" I study the emotions in his eyes, trying to decipher them to no avail. "Are you angry?"

"Of course not." Edward brings his hand to my cheek, rubbing his thumb softly under the oxygen tubes. "I was so frightened."

"I remember." I close my eyes, not wanting to recall the panic in his voice when he'd found me swimming in my own blood. In an effort to distract myself, I say, "And Alice?"

"She went out to tie up some loose ends in our story," he replies vaguely.

"What is the story?" I ask.

"You had a seizure," he recites, as if memorizing a speech. "At the hotel. You fell down a flight of steps and crashed through a window."

"A window?" I can't help but think it seems a little dramatic. "You sure that's not overdoing it?"

Despite the circumstances, Edward chuckles. "Maybe, but Alice is having way too much fun fabricating evidence. It'd be cruel to take that from her now."

I groan at the idea of Alice vandalizing a hotel as expensive as The Hilton.

"On the bright side," he goes on, "you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to."

"I don't know about that," I scoff under my breath. "What about Victoria?" I can't fight the shiver that runs down my spine at the sound of her name.

"You don't have to worry about her now," Edward reassures. His thumb traces small circles above my knuckles and the action transports me back to our shared lab table in Biology. So much has happened since then. I'd give anything to go back to the way things were before they got so complicated.

"She's gone," he continues, bringing me back to the reality of broken bones, bruises and concussions. "Angela's safe."

Lifting a surprised brow at the mention of her, I blink away images of the snowy house I'd seen. "Was I talking in my sleep or something? I thought I'd grown out of that."

"No, Bella, I—I could see you." There's a sort of brightness in his eyes, half excited, half afraid. "It was incredible."

"You saw me?"

He nods. "Standing outside of Angela's home. Snow on the ground, Victoria stalking the woods. I saw it all."

"You read my mind?" The angelic voice I'd heard suddenly begins to make sense. "Can you still…?"

"Not anymore," he answers almost disappointed. "You're blocked off from me again."

"But…?" Edward waits amusedly for me to find my train of thought. "I still don't understand! How?"

He shrugs. "How does Alice see the future? Or Jasper manipulate emotions?"

"I was outside of my body," I ponder aloud. "Or projecting, I guess. Could that be why?"

"It's a theory," he says. "We can test it later, if you'd like."

It's such a relief to see at least a small amount of blithe in him in spite of all the reminders of what has brought us here to begin with.

Taking advantage of the moment, I lean forward, but a fierce tug in my right arm stops me. I glance down to find an IV pulling at the crook of my elbow.

The tiniest bead of blood blooms to the surface where the needle was pulled and a wave of nausea churns my stomach. "Ugh."

"What is it?" Edward asks anxiously.

I find comfort in his eyes. They shine like topaz, a major contrast to the deep shade of red I'd become accustomed to. "Blood."

He looks down, almost surprised to find the droplet forming there. I have to wonder if he'd even noticed it at all before I'd pointed it out.

After a gentle swipe of his cold finger, he dabs the blood on the underside of a tissue to keep it out of my line of view. Then, he reaches over, planting a dazzling kiss to my lips. "All better?" he asks in his velvety voice.

I feel myself swooning. Or maybe that's the concussion. Either way, I'm grateful that I'm lying down, otherwise I already know by now I'd be on the floor. The heart monitor jumps up in speed for a moment before returning back to its steady pace. "Y-yeah."

There's a flash of a smug expression on his face before his eyes dart to the door behind him. "I think I hear your father."

I try to listen for his thoughts, but the more I concentrate, the more my head aches. "I don't hear anything."

"Take it easy, Bella. Give yourself a chance to rest." Edward rises from his spot in the chair and my arm reaches out with a vengeance, gripping his wrist before he can get away.

"Don't leave!" I plead, ignoring the tugging from the IV.

"Shh…" He leans back in, placing another kiss to my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. Just taking a nap."

Reluctantly, I let him go and watch him step away from the plastic chair and settle into the faux leather recliner across the room. He leans back all the way, crossing his feet on the foot rest and closes his eyes.

I roll my eyes at how perfectly still he is. "Don't forget to snore."

He takes a deep breath for show, but I don't have the time to laugh. Charlie steps into the room then, smiling wide when he finds me.

"Bells!" At first I'm relieved I can't hear him. I'm convinced the temporary lapse in my abilities will offer some peace from Charlie's unstable emotions as I watch him decide if it's best to hug me from my left side or my right.

He ends up forgoing the hug altogether and settles for snagging Edward's spot in the plastic chair and grips my left hand. But the second he makes contact, the silence is gone.

I'm overwhelmed once again by every thought, every emotion he's ever had. I try not to flinch in front of him, but the anxiety in him is at an all time high.

My baby girl! I was so worried! What the hell even happened? I never should have let her leave town. But I had to, didn't I? I had to because…? Damnit, Charlie, why did you let her go?

I hate hearing him blame himself. I'm about to break the connection, when I hear another voice. A voice I normally never hear inside his head.

Let me go, it says faintly. It almost echoes behind his train of thought. Let me go back to Mom's.

It's my voice. My commands are still wrestling inside him. What have I done?

"Hey, baby girl." Charlie is calm despite the panic that swirls inside him. "It's nice to finally see you awake."

"How long have I been out?" I can't help but glance at Edward who still has his eyes closed.

"Quite a while," he answers truthfully. "They had to sedate you. You've got so many injuries, Bells. This has gotta be the worst episode you've had."

"I'm sorry." I can't stand the idea of lying to him, so all I can do is apologize. But it doesn't seem to be enough to calm him.

"I called your mother," he says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "She was in Florida when you left, but she's on her way back now. I can, uh, pack some of your things—"

"No—ouch!" My ribs ache at my sudden outburst.

"What hurts, baby?" Edward's eyes snap open behind Charlie.

"It's fine," I assure them. "Just have to remember to sit still."

Edward eases back into his phony slumber.

"I want to come back home with you," I tell him. "I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't mean it."

Charlie sighs and he turns his head as if it's enough to hide the tears I see pooling just underneath his eyes. A small sniffle and a few blinks later, he turns back to me and says, "Bella, honey, I don't want you to think that—I want you to be happy. If you're not happy here…"

"I am happy." The hot tears that fall down my face contradict that, but I hope he can see past them. "I'm happy in Forks. I want to live in Forks."

Charlie glances miserably at Edward, who I'm sure is listening to the string of profanities he's throwing at him mentally. "Are you saying that because of him?"

"No," I say. "At least not entirely."

Apparently, it's not enough to convince him. "C'mon, Bells. Just tell me, did you have a fight, or somethin'?"

"No." I struggle to come up with a convincing lie. "I don't know, just consider it a bout of temporary insanity."

He sighs heavily. "Well, what about Angela? She tells me you two haven't been speaking?"

"You talked to Angela?"

Charlie nods. "She's here. Well, not here here, but you know what I mean. I think she went to get some food from the cafeteria."

I glance at Edward again, but force my eyes to focus on Charlie. "Do you mind getting her? I need to apologize."

He pats my hand gently. "'Course. Be right back."

Slowly he rises out of the chair and I wait impatiently for him to leave the room and stride down the hall out of earshot.

Edward stands the second he's sure Charlie's not coming back and returns to his spot next to me.

"I have to tell her," I say, before he gets the chance to speak.

"What?"

"Angela!" I explain hurriedly. "I've put her through too much already and who knows where Victoria is. She needs to know."

A mixture of guilt and impatience cloud his eyes. "Bella, you know we can't. And Victoria's gone. I promise."

"Is she dead?" I demand, harshly. "Because if she's not, then you have no business saying that."

"Bella—"

"No," I argue, grimacing past my broken ribs. "We tried it your way and Victoria got past us anyway. Angela needs to know what kind of danger she's in and quite frankly, I'm tired of lying to her!"

"Bella, what you saw was just a dream." Edward caresses my cheek when I try to look away from him. "I know you're scared, but I know what she sounds like now. I've heard her thoughts. She won't get past us again."

"You don't know that." I shake my head at him and move my arm when he tries to hold my hand. "And it wasn't a dream! Was it a dream when I saw you and that deer? Or when I saw Victoria watching me while I slept? It was real, Edward. She's coming back."

"Even if she does," he counters, "we'll be ready. I know you don't like it, but it really is safer for her if we keep her in the dark."

"I can't lie to her again, Edward."

I hope you can hear me, Bella. You better not be, like, brain damaged or some shit.

Before Edward can respond, he's forced back into the recliner and closes his eyes again just as Angel peeks her head in.

"B?"

She's gotten a haircut since I've last seen her. Her bangs hang freshly cut over her Tina Fey lenses and the ends hang just below her shoulders instead of down her back like it used to. I didn't think that much time had passed since our fight, but it seems it has.

"Hey," I greet, finally. "No brain damage."

To my surprise, she bursts into tears. Full on, huffy-puffy ugly crying as she plops down in the plastic chair next to me. "You stupid, stupid girl!" she yells through her tears. "You scared me half to death!"

I reach for her pinky, hoping she'll see the intention and she wraps hers around mine without question. "I'm sorry, Ang."

"And what the hell kind of message was that?" I almost don't know what she's talking about until the voicemail replays in her head. "You ask me not to go anywhere on Thanksgiving weekend and you can't tell me why? You want me to trust that you have a good reason? What the hell does that even mean?"

"Did you stay home?" I ask. "Were you safe?"

She scoffs angrily. "Of course I stayed! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry."

Standing abruptly from the chair, she yells, "Stop saying you're sorry! 'Sorry,' doesn't take back everything you've done! Do you remember what you said to me that night?"

I wince, not wanting to remember our fight.

"You said I was jealous of you! Of your powers! And that I wasn't supportive of you! Are you fucking kidding me? All the shit I do for you and that's the thanks I get!"

Sighing defeatedly, I look up at her. "What do you want me to say?"

Angela stares at me silently, breathing heavily for a few moments before sitting back down. "I want you to tell me the truth. They say it was a seizure, but I know better. You haven't had an episode in over a year so, tell me everything that's been going on. You owe me an explanation!"

Nodding slowly, I swallow thickly. "You're right. I do."

"So, out with it, then." She wraps her pinky around mine, shooting a hesitant glance at a sleeping Edward. "Is...Is he hurting you?"

"Of course not!" I shout, forgetting I'm supposed to be quiet.

She shushes me aggressively. "Okay, okay, I'm just making sure! Tell me what happened, Bella."

"You want the truth?" I look over to Edward who suddenly looks too tense to be asleep. I know he feels me staring at him. I'm internally begging him to open his eyes. Give me some kind of sign that he understands.

"The truth," she demands. "Tell me now, because this isn't you. And if you lie to me one more time, I'm walking out that door and never looking back."

Fresh tears pool in my eyes and my stomach drops at the realization. Looking away from her, I find Edward again, still lying down with his damn eyes closed!

"Open your eyes," I whisper. "Please, open them. Please."

"Look at me, Bella!" Angela very rarely loses her temper, but when she does she's brutal. Her dark eyes glare at me so fiercely I feel I could die right then and there.

Meanwhile, Edward still lies perfectly fucking still.

"Tell me, Bella."

I let the tears fall. "I had a seizure."

She blinks at me slowly. "So, that's it? Five years of friendship and you're willing to throw it in the trash?"

My voice is strained through the hot lump forming in my throat. "It's true. I had a seizure."

"Fine." Angela untangles her pinky from mine and the realization scares me more than James or Victoria ever could. She stands from her chair and walks calmly to the door, pausing for only a second to look back at me. If there were any chance that our friendship were still alive, I might've joked that she'd already broken her promise to never look back. But before the thought can even finish crossing my mind, she's gone.

The sobs break free. They wrack my chest and press harshly against my cracked ribs, but there is nothing I can do to stop them. I pray that one of them snaps, puncturing my lungs and sends me back into peaceful darkness. But once again, I find myself tethered to this painful reality.

Cold arms envelop me, but his touch is not enough to soothe my aching heart and crushed spirit. I can hear his voice telling me something, but I can't make out the words over the blood pumping in my ears and the wailing of my cries.

He must give up after a while, because his voice is quiet soon after and I'm left to cough and sputter as my lungs protest such violent movements in my torso.

Eventually, the pain becomes too much for my body to handle and I find myself slipping back into peaceful darkness.

"Just rest now," I hear Edward say softly just before slipping back into the black waters of nothing.