This chapter is shorter than the others; it just goes over more of the aftermath after the accident. Addison confronts Edward. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

EDIT 04/04/2020: Big thanks to DarkScarlet19610 for pointing out a consistency error I made in this chapter with Bella's truck and Addison's car! I hadn't even noticed before.

Sitting in the waiting room was hell. I was bombarded with person after person coming up to me and asking if I was okay and what happened. I dodged the second question as best as I could by answering the first, hoping they dropped it. Thankfully, they did and were appeased, but that didn't stop even the people I didn't know from coming up and continuing the cycle.

Things would have been easier if Edward were here to help take some of the attention off me, but he'd disappeared as soon as I spotted him, the ass. So, I was left to be the center of attention while Charlie sat stiffly beside me. His worry for Bella was too great to even attempt to help me with the crowd of teens in the room.

Angela, Mike, Eric, and Jessica were the most incorrigible, but I had a bit more patience with them than I did with the rest of the people in the room. They wanted a full recap of everything with as many details as I could remember, and while I'd already given Bella the excuse Edward had given me, I felt wary telling everyone that. What if someone had seen Edward and known that he wasn't where he said he was? Something told me it would be bad for everyone to know, so I kept trying to change the subject as best as I could. When that didn't work, I made up the excuse of needing to go outside for air and wanting to be alone.

As soon as I stepped outside the doors, I took in a deep breath, relieved to be away from so many people. I was starting to focus a bit too much on how they smelled, and I didn't want to do something I'd hate myself for. To my surprise, a familiar figure was leaning against the building, looking off into the trees. He turned to look at me as I made my way closer to him.

"So, this is where you've been the entire time? You could have at least helped me deal with the mob of students in there." He chuckled, and I hated that the sound made my heart flutter. He was too handsome for his own good.

"My apologies. That wasn't very nice of me, I know. I just tend to stay away from crowds." He seemed to be back to acting like the nice Edward from a day ago. I had a feeling it was a part of his innocent act to get me to not ask questions. Too bad for him, my curiosity couldn't be forgotten so easily.

Standing a few feet away from him, I made sure my voice was low so no passersby would overhear. "Can I have an explanation now?" The smile on his face vanished, quickly being replaced by a tense look.

"An explanation for what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Please, don't treat me like I'm an idiot, Edward. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I want to know the truth and not some BS excuse."

His eyes were narrowed, all signs of pleasantry gone. "Well, what do you think happened?" he snapped.

My voice was even and calm as I responded. "I know that you were standing exactly four cars away from me with your family when Tyler's van lost control. I looked right at you. You weren't in the process of walking over or anything like you say. When you somehow got over to me, I didn't hit my head on the ground like you want me to believe, and my eyes were wide open as I watched you stop the van with your bare hands, but I don't see so much as a bruise on you." It sounded crazy, almost unbelievable, but I'd been bitten by a vampire, so the unbelievable wasn't so far out there.

His face was tense, defensive. "Nobody will believe that, you know." He didn't deny what I saw, at least.

"Who said I was going to tell anyone? I just want to know for myself. I don't lie for just any old stranger. Besides, what would I gain from telling people? Nothing, that's what."

Surprise flitted across his face, but he schooled it quickly. "Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

I hadn't thanked him, had I? "Thank you, Edward, for saving me from the van and comforting me while I was losing it, but if you expect me to just go on about my life like I didn't see what I know I saw, then you're completely wrong."

"In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment." We both scowled at each other in silence for a few moments. The fact that he was keeping a secret wasn't what was bothering me anymore, it was the fact that he was belittling my intelligence that was infuriating.

Rather than continue the argument, I let out a sharp breath through my nose and turned on my heel. I didn't look back at him as I walked through the hospital doors. It was almost perfect timing too because Bella was walking into the waiting room a few seconds later. Dad and I were instantly by her side.

"There's nothing wrong with me," she assured, looking like she wanted to be anywhere besides the waiting room. I understood her discomfort.

"What did the doctor say?" Dad asked.

"Dr. Cullen saw me, and he said I was fine and I could go home, so can we please go?" she urged as some of our classmates began to come closer. We'd be held up forever if they came and started asking the same repetitive questions, so I was in complete agreeance.

I followed behind Dad and Bella as they walked past the crowd of students and out the door. Even though I was still annoyed, I couldn't help but look at where Edward and I had been talking not too long ago. He was gone.

The ride home was mostly silent. The only words spoken were Dad suggesting that I stay home as well, even though I was completely fine. I had a feeling a part of it was to keep an eye on Bella, so I agreed. It would also give me the chance I needed to satisfy my monstrous craving.

When we were inside, Charlie left us with the tip that we should call Renee, and both Bella and I groaned. No doubt, she was overreacting and planning a flight down to Forks to check up on us herself. The last thing I wanted was her breathing down my neck and hovering. She was great at that.

Turning to Bella, I held out a fist. "Rock, paper, scissors to see who has to call Mom?" She nodded and held up her own fist. I won the first round, and she demanded us to do the best two out of three. When I proceeded to win the next round, she sighed defeatedly while I cheered. "I'll leave you to it."

After she disappeared up the stairs, I waited around for a few minutes before leaving the house as quietly as I could. The ache in my throat was impossible to ignore, and it was time I dealt with it.

Following the same path I'd taken that tragic first day in Forks, I made sure I was far from any people before stopping and closing my eyes. Going from vampire to human had been moderately simple, so doing the opposite shouldn't be hard either.

Just focus on that day.

Though it was a memory I'd rather forget, my mind went back to the last time I'd been this deep in the woods. I could recall the pain, the fear, and the helplessness clearly. I could also picture the face of my attacker. It was a bit blurry in my memories, but I knew it would be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. He was the one who'd ripped my humanity away from me.

It was a bit hard to notice the changes at first. Only when the ache in my throat became a raging inferno did I realize that I was no longer human. My hand shot up to my throat as I tried to relieve at least a little of my pain, but it was useless. Only one thing would help me now.

Trying to focus on the sounds around me rather than the fire in my throat was difficult, but I managed to pick up a familiar sound.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Opening my eyes, I shot off like a bullet and let my senses lead me to a couple of deer. My mind went blank not too long after.

A couple of hours later, I was walking back into the house feeling more refreshed than I had been in weeks. Bella was coming down the stairs soon after.

"Where did you go?" She questioned, looking at me suspiciously.

"I walked back to the school to get the truck," I responded easily, holding up her keys for emphasis. I'd had sense enough to do that after sating my blood-lust. The walk was a long one, but it had given me time to clear my head and relax a bit.

Her eyes went wide. "You walked all the way there? Why didn't you just get Dad to drop you off when we left the hospital?" she questioned, watching me as I hung my-now dirty-coat up on the rack.

"He needed to get back to work, and I needed some time to clear my head after all the craziness that went on today. "

"We could have just rode in your car to school tomorrow instead of you going all that way. That would have been way simpler."

I shrugged. "Whelp, the past is the past. I got your truck, and you don't have to worry about it tomorrow," I said while handing her the keys I'd nabbed from the counter earlier today.

She seemed to be a bit exasperated with me but let the subject go. She then ran over the conversation she had with Mom before disappearing up to her room to take a nap. Just as I thought, Mom had been in hysterics, and I was glad I hadn't been the one to call her.

Following Bella's lead, I walked up to my room and closed the door behind me. After changing into more comfortable clothes, I fell onto my bed and instantly felt drowsy. It was as if the lack of sleep I'd been getting was suddenly catching up with me, and I was helpless to resist sleep.

My dreams were filled with running through the forest and Edward Cullen's face, much to my annoyance.