Thank you soooooo much Dazzle! I know I've thanked you so many times now, but I really do appreciate your help!!

Yah, I know, this is posted at the same time as chapter 4. The only thing I can say to you now is that the updates will probably be less frequent. I had the first 5 written already, and sent them all to Dazzle at the same time. Chapter 6 is in progress, and chapter 7 is yet to be born. Please be patient with me.

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Previously: I blacked out when his skin made contact with mine.

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Chapter 5: Rejection

I had been in Denali for three days now. In that time, I had only seen him a total of twice, neither of which had been pleasant occasions. Jasper told me that until I had talked to him about what had happened, I wasn't allowed to go home. The way things were going it seemed that I would be here a long time.

It was kind of weird, being in the same house as him and not talking to him... not seeing him. I had missed him more than I could ever explain, but how was I supposed to react when I found out he had lied to me when he said he didn't love me? Who does that, anyway? I didn't know if I hated him, or still loved him.

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I was wandering the house, unable to sleep. Everybody had gone out on a much-needed hunting trip, and I was trusted not to burn the house down. I went to the living room, deciding that I wanted to watch some television. There was nothing on, so I contented myself with watching an old Simpsons rerun. I started to doze, but I heard the door open. Ignoring it, but knowing that I had to stay awake now, I continued to stare blankly at the TV. Edward was sitting beside me, his face resembling stone.

"Why aren't you in bed yet?" he asked softly. Hearing his velvet voice so close, so real, and so full of concern made me feel angry.

"Why do you care?" I asked condescendingly.

"Because you need your sleep, you're only human, after all," he seemed to be genuinely concerned, but I just couldn't be sure with him anymore. I had fallen into the trap of his lies before, and it had left me broken. I was determined not to let it happen again.

"Why do you care now? You didn't three months ago. Why does anything that I do concern you?" I said sharply. He looked down.

"Because…because I love you Bella. There hasn't been a single moment in the last three months that I haven't thought of you."

"I'm not in the mood to put up with your crap anymore, Edward. Stop with the lies. You are the one who left. You said that I wasn't good enough. And worst of all, you are the cause of all of Jaspers guilt. That's the only reason I'm here, you know that? He made me come here to talk to you. If it wasn't for the fact that he's a bazillion times stronger than I am, I would currently be tucked up in my bed at home. Don't you ever tell me that you love me again. All that leads to is heartbreak. I believed you once, and look where I ended up. I'm only now coming out of the worst of it. For the last three months, I haven't been able to do anything. Anything! I may as well have been dead—everyone was, and still is, worried about me, because I couldn't even care for my own person. And what difference would it make? It's not like you would have cared, anyway."

Suddenly, Edward's lips were on mine. I had no time to react. I sat there frozen for about five seconds. I had missed this—him—but I couldn't do this again. I promised myself I wouldn't end up heartbroken. When he finally pulled away, I stood up, and marched past him, down the long cream-coloured hallway, and up the stairs into the bedroom I was currently staying in. I flopped down on the large bed, and wrapped myself in blankets. I knew I would be having nightmares for the next month (or even longer) about this.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a soft knock at the door. I turned over so I could see who walked in. Alice poked her head into the room. "May I come in?" she asked in her sweet, musical voice.

"Whatever, I no longer care," was my oh-so-cheery response. She made her way over to where I was laying, and sat down beside me.

"I told him not to do that," was all she said to me. I looked at her, rememorizing her perfectly sculpted face. My eyes started to water, and I buried my face in the crimson blankets surrounding me. I felt a small, cold hand on my back. We sat like this for some time.

"I'm sorry Alice. I… I just can't help it. I guess it's just hard to believe that he ever actually loved me. I mean… I know that he meant it for a while, but now, it's just impossible for me to believe. He left me, and then Jasper makes me come here, and he kisses me, expecting everything to be better. The problem is I don't know if I can ever forgive him."

"It's okay Bella. You'll both mend this. Believe me, I know," she said, tapping the side of her head, and winking at me. I chuckled, knowing that things would eventually get better. If there was one thing that I had learned in that short time back in Forks, it was to never bet against Alice.