EPOV

"Rosalie," I nodded. "I knew I should have listened before opening the door..."

She just huffed and crossed her arms, giving me her annoyed face.

"Edward, come with me."

"I already told Alice, I'm not going back home. Not yet."

"Just quit being such a spoiled brat and follow me!"

I flinched at the way her voice reminded me of a howler monkey.

Damn my weakened state...

I'm too tired to fight her off, the way I normally can.

Guess I should have hunted after all.

"Fine," I relented, both from the lack of strength and the overwhelming desire to get even just the slightest glimpse of my girl. "But if this upsets Bella in any way... it'll be your head."

"Whatever," she growled, grabbing me by the arm and tugging me to her little red BMW convertible. "What are you doing way out here anyway? It's disgusting," she shivered. "I feel like I need a shower after just stepping foot in here."

"I think you've just answered your own question."

"Oh, Edward," she sighed, looking at me all disappointed - but not at all surprised.

I just shrugged and got into the car.

She winced.

"What?" I asked with an annoyed groan, not liking the way she looked at me as though I was something she'd just scraped off her shoe.

"You're so paying for my cleaning bill, Dirt Monkey."

We arrived home a few hours later.

I remained seated in the car, too afraid to move a muscle.

She hates me.

I can't face her.

She won't want to see me.

Why didn't I just jump out of the damn car when I had the chance...???

"Come on," Rosalie sighed, opening the passenger side door and tugging me out.

"I don't understand why you're doing this! Bella doesn't want to see me, it will only make her more upset!! Is that what you want?! God, I knew you were a cold hearted bitch, but this is beyond - "

I was interrupted by her hand making connection with my face.

I hissed and brought a hand protectively up to my cheek, both loving and hating the sting.

"Would you just shut up for one second and do what you're told??"

"Fine," I growled, prying my arm out of her grasp and giving a dramatic shrug. "But you know that karma is going to come back and bite you in the ass over this..."

"That's the spirit," she sneered, flipping her hair over and shoulder and heading for the front door.

I followed, not wanting to hear her shrill voice any longer.

Just be a good boy, Edward.

Then she won't open her mouth any longer.

I decided to stop blocking the voices then.

It will be easier to tell how Bella is feeling if I can just read Jasper's thoughts.

He'd know better than anyone.

That's when I heard it.

That selfish, selfish boy!

Esme...

I can't believe he'd just leave us like he did, leave Bella... I do hope Rosalie has been able to talk some sense in him. They've been gone an awful long while... I suppose they'll be home any moment now. Perhaps that was Rosie's car I just heard pull in? It must have been, I'd know that sound anywhere. I do hope she's managed to drag Edward back, I've missed him so much. And poor Bella, she's a complete wreck after all that's happened...

I stopped.

Rosalie turned and glared at me.

"Now what?"

I brought both hands up into my hair, tugging at it roughly in frustration while squeezing my eyes shut.

"It's alright, Bella..."

Alice!

She must be talking to Bella up in her room.

I concentrated on blocking out the other voices as best as I could, wanting to focus only on her voice.

"No. It's not," Bella replied bitterly. "I've said it a million times, he doesn't care about me. Why else would he have left?"

Ouch.

Damn, that one stung...

I knew she hated me for what I'd done to her.

Nobody can love a monster.

"He has his reasons. Most of them stupid, sure, but in his mind they make sense. He thinks he's doing the right thing."

"Why, Alice? Why would he lie about what he did?"

This is what you've left me to deal with, Edward.

A dry sob escaped me as I listened to Alice's harsh thoughts, and saw Bella through her eyes...

Her eyes were black, meaning she probably hasn't hunted in as long as I have, her hair was in nearly as much disarray as my own is on a daily basis, and I could just see it.

Could just tell.

She's suffered.

Suffered so, so hard because of me.

I truly am a monster.

BPOV

"What was that noise?" I wondered aloud, craning my neck to look out the window.

Alice was just silent.

EDWARD!!

I got up from my seat and darted down the stairs, flung the front door open, and ran to Edward's side.

He removed his hands from his hair and looked up at me all surprised, like he really wasn't expecting me to be sitting right there beside him.

Which he probably wasn't.

"Bella?" He croaked, still as a statue, as if afraid to scare me off with any sudden movements.

"I'm here..."

I, in a very bold move, took one of his hands into my own, holding it tightly so he wouldn't be able to pull it away.

"Are you alright?"

He let out a humorless chuckle.

"I really should be asking you the same thing."

"But your eyes.... You haven't been hunting..."

"And you have?"

I flinched, ashamed that he'd caught me.

"Bella," he whispered harshly. "You really need to be taking care of yourself. I refuse to allow you to starve like this."

"What, but it's okay for you to?"

"I'm not the one who matters here."

"You matter to me."

He closed his eyes and hung his head.

"I don't understand, Bella. You can't care about me. Not after what I've done to you."

"But I do."

He glanced up at me, a very faint trace of hope glittering in his eyes.

"I just... I don't... How?" He sputtered.

So damn adorable.

"Because I do."

"But Bella, I stole your life away from you - "

"And gave me a better one."

His nose crinkled up in confusion as he tried to make sense of my statement.

"Edward, I don't even remember much of my old life. But from what I do remember, it wasn't very good. My mother is dead... I hardly ever saw any of my father. I didn't have any friends, at least not any significant enough to stand out in my thoughts... I spent all of my time alone, with my nose buried in a book. It was a boring, pointless life. But now... I've just been introduced to so many amazing things. I'm a part of a wonderful family that loves me, cares for me, spends more time with me than my own father ever did... And I found you. I found love. So I don't hate you for what you did. Not in the least. In a way, I... kind of love you more because of it."

"That just can't... Be possible... You can't..."

I could tell his defense was growing weaker and weaker.

He was going to crack.

Silly Edward.

We could have saved each other a lot of time and pain if you'd just sat down and listened to me.

I took his face in my hands and turned it so he was facing me, and looked him straight in the eye.

"I love you. You're the best thing to happen to me in both of my lives. I don't even care that you don't love me! All I know is that I love you, and nothing you've done, or ever will do, will make me feel otherwise."

He took in a very long, deep breath then, causing me to let out an inward growl for having to wait so long for his response.

"I do love you, Bella."

I just rolled my eyes, ignoring the little flips my dead heart did at hearing those words.

"You-you don't have to say that, really, I know that you don't - "

But he interrupted me by leaning in and placing a very sweet, gentle kiss on my lips and smiling.

My entire body lit up in excitement at finally having this connection to him after so long.

"I truly do love you, Bella," he whispered as he slowly leaned back. "And don't you ever think otherwise."

"Okay," I nodded.

"Okay."

Behind us, a huge round of applause rang out.

I slowly turned around and saw the whole family on the front steps staring at us, all with proud smiles - even Rosalie.

Which shouldn't surprise me as much as it does, after that weird talk she gave me yesterday.

I guess I'm just still used to the old Rosalie.

"Finally!" Emmett whooped.

Rosalie smacked him in the back of the head.

Yup. That's what I'm used to.

"Have they been watching the whole time?" I whispered to Edward.

"Listening, is more like it. They didn't all come out until just a few seconds ago."

"Hey. Eddie. We're right here," Alice said in annoyance, with a little wave.

I waved back, not letting go of Edward's hands for fear of him doing something other than wave.

Alice hissed.

Rosalie laughed.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you both!" Esme exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I'm so glad you were able to work things out!"

"Um... Thank you?" I mumbled, thankful for my inability to blush.

"Are they making you uncomfortable?" Edward whispered into my ear, so low I couldn't help but question whether or not anyone else was even able to hear it. "We can leave, if you'd like. Just say the word."

"You mean... Go somewhere with you? Alone?"

His eyes widened.

"Y-you don't have to, you can just go by yourself if you'd like, I'd completely understand - "

"I'd really like to go somewhere with you."

He gave me that crooked grin I'd grown to love so much.

"Let's go."

So things have been resolved! Already, you ask? Well... I do plan to toss in just a little bit more drama before things end. So don't worry. I hope to at least make it to 15 chapters... Though there's no promises!

Thanks to those have reviewed. You are all so awesome in your own little ways.

:)