Bella's POV

"Bella." Edward pulled my attention from our attractive visitor. "This is Sarah Davenport. Sarah, this is Bella Swan." Just Bella Swan…simple Bella Swan…NOT Bella Swan my exclusive girlfriend. He looked from me to her as if that explained everything, well it didn't.

I didn't say a word. What should I say? Edward AND Jasper know her? Then she has to know what Edward is. What am I thinking, she's a vampire herself. Look at her, she has to be. She's so lovely, so pale and she just spoke to him in that rapid speech I can't even understand.

Edward's phone rang and he glanced at it. It was too important to ignore. He silently apologized with his eyes and answered. "Yes?…oh yes, she's here…. just a moment please." I took a step forward and reached out my hand the same time as Edward turned to the stunning Sarah Davenport. "It's for you." He said to our neighbor and my heart fell into my stomach. She's getting phone calls on Edward's phone? Is she wearing his boxers too?

I was turning livid by the second. Jealousy will do that to you. I held my fake cheese covered wooden spoon so tight I thought it might snap in half. The vixen had taken a step back to speak privately on the phone….on Edward's phone….in MY house.

Edward still had that phony smile on his face. He looked at me and motioned to the shameless hussy behind him. "Bella…Sarah is our next door neighbor."

No shit Sherlock. I nodded. I didn't trust my voice just yet. "Uh huh."

"Um, do you remember a couple of days ago when we had that little misunderstanding? Here…on the couch…and you took off to the library?" He had a confused look on his face. What, so you went and banged the more durable neighbor? The bitch ended her call.

Oh shit, he's in confession mode. Just don't tell me…please don't tell me. My macaroni was burning but I couldn't move my feet. Edward held his hand up to me as if to put our conversation on hold. He turned to HER and she put the phone into his waiting hand. "Everything alright?" He asked her quietly. She nodded quickly at him but kept bouncing her eyes from me to oblivious Edward desperately trying to inform him that girlfriend number one was staring at them.

It finally sunk into that granite skull of his and he spun around with my third fake smile in a row. I couldn't do this anymore. I ran into the kitchen, turned off the stove and stirred fiercely trying to save my dinner. I had to do something normal, something everyday. He followed me. I scraped the bottom of the pot.

"So, who was on the phone?" I said snidely. Like he would tell me.

"Oh that? It was just Esme…" and then he sort of slurred the rest of it. "Calling to welcome Sarah into the family." What!?! "Bella, could you stop that for a second, I'm trying to tell you something."

I know, I know, you're leaving me for her! Be brave Bella, you knew this day would come. I put down the spoon and turned to face him courageously.

He sighed. "Thanks. This is difficult enough." You poor thing. "Well, like I was saying, I met Sarah that same night. We really hit it off, she's great." I'm so happy for you. "Anyway…well, gees, this is uncomfortable." Shit. Shit. Shit. "I kind of told her about us and our…predicament." My eyes opened wide.

"You did what? Edward, that's private." I was near tears.

"Is it okay if I come on in sugar?" The siren from hell called from the living room. Sugar? They already have pet names…. revolting.

"Yeah sure Sarah." He called out to her and then continued on with me. "I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it, but she was able to help. There is so much we haven't tried, you understand? This is a good thing." He whispered to me. Wait, what are we talking about here? "There are possibilities I hadn't thought of. I'm seeing things much more clearly now." Glad someone does.

The third wheel popped into the kitchen. "Hey. Ed's told me so much about you." Wrong thing to say. "We're all going to get along so well." I don't do threesomes.

Enough was enough. "God, just get it over with already!!!" I screamed at them at the top of my lungs. They both jumped. "You!" I pointed the wooden spoon at the little southern tramp. "You're the one who got him drunk, aren't you?! Another counterfeit grin from the neighbor. "And then the two of you went out and you….and you…and Jasper…how could you?" I threw the spoon at Edward's head and ran to my bedroom.

Edward's POV

Bella ran to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. The sound resonated in my ears. Over and over the finality of the thud played in my head and I began to panic. "Go in there and make it right." Sarah told me, turned and left through the front door.

What am I going to say? I was afraid. She was my life and she had everything twisted. If I didn't do this properly I could lose her. No. That's unacceptable.

I blinked and found myself standing outside her bedroom. I rested my head against the white panel and could hear her softly crying inside. I tapped my fingers on the door. "Bella?" I choked out. No response. It sounded like she was having a fight with a Kleenex box…and losing.

"Bella… please allow me to explain." I begged her. She was hurting and there was no reason for it but she wouldn't answer me. This had to stop.

"I'm coming in." I announced as I turned the knob. It was locked. A temper I so rarely feel that I'd forgotten it existed at all suddenly came upon me. "There will be no locks between us Bella!" I hit the door with the palm of one hand and the wood splintered against the bolt as the door swung open. She was centered on the bed, but pushed herself back against the headboard and tightened her arms around her legs upon my rude entrance.

Wonderful, now I'd frightened her. I hated the way she moved away from me. I skirted the room to gauge her reaction to my standing by the window.

"You have the wrong idea about Sarah, but that's my fault." I said soothingly. "I met her four days ago…next door…at her house." She remained silent. "I sensed another vampire there and went to investigate. She's a vampire."

"I know that!" That got her riled; she yanked another tissue from the battered box. Was Bella upset because I'd met another vampire or because I hadn't told her?

I put up my hands. "Okay. Um, like I said earlier I told her things about us. Things I shouldn't have."

Bella leaned forward onto her knees and chucked the Kleenex box at my head.

On impulse I reached out and caught it. By the look on her face I should've let it hit me. I'd always found it amusing when Bella was upset with me, but this time her anger was genuine and I couldn't find any humor in it. I went on as it was the only thing I could do. "Sarah has a preference for…that is…for years she has had successful…affairs with human males." I allowed that to hover for a while. She stopped crying, thank goodness.

"I discovered this upon entering her home. She wasn't alone. I felt like a peeping Tom." Was that the beginning of a smile? I kept going. "I thought I was going to have to rescue a man from being murdered, but instead I interrupted…well…anyway, he was fine, and I found myself asking her how that was even possible."

Bella's nose was still dripping and I stepped forward hesitantly to give her back the box of tissues. She took them without flinching. That's a good sign, right? I may as well tell her everything now, but it was going to be very difficult. "She helped me with one of my main concerns about you. I've explained how you affect me Bella, but what I didn't tell you was occasionally things would heat up too much for me and…how do I explain?" I ran my hand through my hair, smearing slimy cheese from when the spoon had hit me in the side of the head. I felt it and looked at my hand to see what it was.

"Go on. Explain." Bella insisted. At least she was speaking to me.

I sighed and moved closer to sit on the edge of her bed. I put my head in my hands looking at the floor. "When you're very near me, touching me, kissing me, my…system created a flow of venom. It would pool in my mouth as if I were preparing to take you; to kill you. It wouldn't exactly be romantic to spit on the floor so I'd swallow it, burning my throat. Bella, this is very embarrassing. I felt like some sort of pervert, and so I kept it from you."

She moved closer to me then and said, "It just sounds normal to me. I mean, for a vampire." Her anger was wavering.

I looked at her, my awkward confession now over. "This is where the drinking comes in. Sarah thought all I needed to do was relax, like it would be that simple. She is not a vegetarian, but she is also not a killer. She purchases her supply and has it boxed up in doses for her use…she also spikes a lot of it with alcohol." Bella laughed. I could breathe again. "I mistakenly got a hold of what she calls the Human Schnapps."

"So I take it you're not in love with her?" Bella asked. I took her hand in mine.

"No. Of course not, but she is alone in the world and Carlisle has asked her to become part of our family. It would be cruel to leave her…stranded…a castaway for eternity." Her hand tightened around mine and she smiled. "That's where Jasper makes his appearance. He was to invite her in with us."

She nodded.

Here she was coming around and I was going to ruin it. "Bella, I kissed her." When something is bound to hurt, blunt is best right? "She asked me to, to determine…oh God, I don't know why, I don't even remember anymore." I started to pull my hand from hers but she held on.

"So…" She started, swishing her hair behind her. "Who picked out the gown?"

I just told her I kissed another woman and she wanted to know about the negligee? "I did. It was her idea to go through the catalog, but she had me choose." I waited to see if that was alright. I guess it was, nothing came flying through the air at me.